


Arranged to a T

by HistorianAnon



Series: Arranged Marriage AU [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha Tony Stark, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Excessive use of pet names, M/M, Older Man/Younger Man, Omega Peter Parker, POV Tony Stark, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Virgin Peter Parker, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-01-28 23:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21400660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HistorianAnon/pseuds/HistorianAnon
Summary: A/B/O AU. Omegas must be married when they turn 18. Alpha Tony Stark is thrilled to marry omega Peter from Queens, but didn't expect winning his own husband over to be this difficult.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Series: Arranged Marriage AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1585942
Comments: 271
Kudos: 1101





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because it ticks all my boxes and I wanted to. Lots of hand-wavy plot devices to cover the holes. Tony is older than Peter in this. Don't like, don't read. 
> 
> All mistakes are mine. This is for me to take a break from reading the inane, self-righteous, repetitive monographs history grad students are forced to endure. :)

There was an extra spring in Tony’s step that day as he made his way into his building. Tony loved his job; working for research and development at the company he’d inherited from his late father allowed him the financial freedom to do what he liked at Stark Industries. As the leader in environmentally friendly electronics, business at SI was booming. The heavy lifting (and frankly, more mundane) aspects of running a multi-billion dollar enterprise was left to his CEO, a frighteningly efficient beta named Pepper. 

However, it wasn’t the anticipation of a day tinkering in the lab that had the alpha in such high spirits. Today was the day Tony would finally get to meet his omega. 

Tony had enjoyed his fair - okay, more than fair - share of partners over the years. Mostly betas, but even a fellow alpha or two, when he was feeling more adventurous. But none of his trysts or embarrassingly brief relationships had ever brought a feeling of connection or completion. At 52, Tony knew he was getting up there in age, not that he would ever admit that out loud, or to Pepper, God forbid. But as he got older, he was becoming more cognizant of the fact that he was missing out on something in life. A partner to share the ups and downs of his career; someone to come home to after making a breakthrough in the lab; someone who could cook him dinner to make sure he was eating properly. 

Luckily, there was a simple solution for Tony’s desires. The Omega Registry. Decades ago, the government decided to put it into law that all omegas be married by the time they turned 18. At first, no one really objected to it. Omegas were built to be homemakers; they were always happiest caring for an alpha and pups. It just worked. Recently there was some talk stirring about abolishing the Omega Registry Act, making arrangements void and illegal. Some states already had. But it was mostly just that, talk. Talk that did not concern Tony. 

What did concern Tony was Peter Parker. 

Peter Parker, who by this time tomorrow, would be Peter Stark. The thought alone made the alpha’s cock twitch in his slacks. Peter was a perfect omega. Tony had first laid eyes on the kid when he was looking through the photos of omegas on the registry. Pep had laid out a stack of suitable sounding omegas from the area around Tony’s house in the suburbs surrounding SI. As soon as Tony flipped over Petey’s and saw his boy’s photo, he was entranced. 

Soft brown curls, milky white skin, and huge honey eyes that gazed out at him with palpable intelligence. Not to mention those plump, pink lips, slightly shiny from where he’d probably just run his little tongue over it, lips that were going to look perfect stretched around his knot…

Fuck, Tony really needed to change his train of thought or he’d end up having to rub one out at work, and he didn’t fancy that when he would soon have a soft, welcoming omega of his own, always ready, warm and slick for Tony….

_Fuck. _

Anyway, once he’d laid eyes on his baby boy, he’d had Pep draw up the contract right then. He’d learned that his boy had lost his parents at an early age - car accident, or something - and was currently living in Queens with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, both betas. Peter was freshly 18, and when Tony finally contacted the Parkers, they were shocked and thrilled that such a wealthy and influential man was interested in their boy. 

Hell, Tony was more than just _interested_, but he didn’t want the Parkers to start making any outrageous demands if they learned just how desperate he was to own Peter. 

Daydreams about his omega made the rest of the day go by in a blur. Tony knew he was absolutely useless in the lab that day, but being your own boss came with the perks of not having anyone to really answer to. Besides, the latest StarkPhone had come out just two weeks ago, and sales were still going strong. Tony could afford an unproductive day every now and then. 

As he slid into the sleek Audi he drove to and from his building to his home a few miles away, his mind drifted to what was set to transpire that evening. 

Peter Parker would arrive at his not-so-humble abode in the exclusive suburban neighborhood he’d chosen to settle down in, followed by the government official he’d requested for the event. Tony didn’t want his marriage to be front page stuff - just a simple ceremony to bind his omega to him, followed by a lifetime of wedded bliss. 

Petey’s Aunt and Uncle would probably be there, too, he mused. It would be nice to meet the people who had helped raise his boy. Maybe they could offer some advice on how to make Petey feel more at home. While the alpha in Tony purred at the thought of mating the boy right away, common sense told him it would be best to wait until they really got to know one another to exchange mating bites and properly consummate their union. After all, it was only marriage that was required from an of-age omega. Plenty of alphas married omegas as a way to help them avoid unwanted matches. Hell, Tony had even fucked a few of the so-called “liberated omegas,” - he had nothing against omegas who wanted to have multiple partners or experiment before settling down with a mate, but something primal and dark inside Tony relished the fact that Peter was being delivered to him a virgin. 

The drive home was as much of a blur as his day at work, his thoughts of Peter making the usual frustration of traffic and overcrowded roadways nonexistent. Tony parked his car in the large garage attached to his house, the AI system automatically locking everything up behind him. 

Tony strolled into the kitchen, his anticipation for Peter’s arrival growing. The alpha checked his messages on his StarkPhone as he popped the cap on a beer - nothing new since he last checked it while leaving work. 

That was okay, though, he thought, migrating to the plush designer couch in his living room. Peter wasn’t scheduled to be there until 6:30, and it was only 6:00. No news was good news, right? 

Tony allowed thoughts of his omega to occupy him as he finished his beer - he’d limit it to just one tonight. He wanted to be fully aware when he finally met his boy.

The alpha decided to change from his work attire - wrinkled dress slacks admirably paired with a ratty old t-shirt and blazer that cost more than most people paid a month in rent - into something more suitable for getting married. 

_Fuck._ He was getting married. 

After changing into a less-wrinkled pair of slacks and a crisp white button down, Tony spent a few minutes attempting to coax his hair into something that resembled order. The slightly nervous energy that possessed him - not that Tony Stark would ever admit to such a feeling - drove him to fuss with his hair more than he usually did. He wanted Petey to find him attractive. He knew he was damn good looking, but the alpha couldn’t help himself. 

Tony briefly considered using a spritz of the alpha cologne Rhodey had given him for his last birthday, but ultimately decided that he wanted Peter’s first whiff of him to be nothing but his natural scent. 

God, what would Peter smell like? Tony imagined that the boy would smell like wildflowers and honey, pure and sweet and innocent...

The alpha was interrupted from his train of thought by the sound of his doorbell echoing through the house. His heart leaped at the sound, and he immediately abandoned his efforts with his hair to hurry to the door. 

A peek out the frosted glass window of the door revealed a lone, tall figure. Tony’s excitement waned a bit upon realizing it was just the officiant, and not his omega, but it was a tangible sign of his future mate’s impending arrival, so he let the man in with a winning smile. 

“You must be Mr. Stark,” the man greeted, extending his hand for a friendly shake. Tony picked up the scent of mated alpha on the man - a scent he was eager to have as well.

“And you must be Mr. Denning,” Tony greeted, releasing the man’s hand to gesture to the living room, “Please, come on in, have a seat.”

Mr. Denning sat down on the plush sofa Tony had recently vacated. 

“I assume we’re only waiting on your omega?” the man asked, opening the small briefcase he had tucked under his arm.

“That’s right,” Tony replied, closing the door and moving to join Mr. Denning in the living room. “His name is Peter.”

“Lovely name for an omega. And might I just add, it’s an honor to be the one performing this marriage for you, Mr. Stark,” Mr. Denning stated, pulling out an expensive looking fountain pen. 

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it, you know?” chuckled Tony, subtly glancing towards the front door. The clock above the large flat-screen television read 6:32. 

“As you should be, Mr. Stark,” the other alpha replied with a smile, “being mated is truly wonderful. I hope your marriage to Peter will be everything you hope for.”

_Yeah,_ thought Tony with another glance towards the door, _so do I._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! I probably won't update this as quickly next time, but I do plan to have new chapters up at least once a week. This is looking like it's going to be about 10 chapters, subject to change. 
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: Angst for poor Peter - and Tony - and weird A/B/O dynamic stuff. Which means Tony is a bit possessive, etc. Enjoy!

So far, his marriage to Peter was nothing like he’d hoped. 

Sure, the boy was beautiful. Beyond beautiful, even better looking than in his pictures. Perfect skin, perfect scent, and the perfect omega size - small and dainty. Seeing Peter for the first time was everything he’d imagined. The scent of honeysuckle and lilac was immediate, but the taint of fear and apprehension followed closely. 

At first, Tony had written it off as wedding/meeting day jitters. Who wouldn’t be nervous coming face to face with an alpha they’d never met, let alone an alpha that they were going to be marrying? 

But the scent only got stronger as the brief ceremony wound down. 

Peter - accompanied by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben - had arrived 20 minutes later than promised. Tony swore that he grew another gray hair as each minute ticked by, forced to make increasingly agonizing small talk with Mr. Denning, who tactfully avoided questioning whether or not Peter was really going to make an appearance. 

When the Parkers had finally arrived, their small Nissan with mismatched paint on the passenger’s side door had idled in the driveway for five whole minutes - five more grays for Tony - before the trio emerged. 

Peter’s gorgeous brown eyes were rimmed with red, and that, combined with the alarming scent of fear and betrayal, had set Tony on edge immediately. He suddenly wasn’t so sure this was a simple case of being jittery. 

Ben and May Parker were pleasant enough, but both betas had thin, tense expressions on their faces as they introduced themselves and their nephew, who briefly made eye contact with Tony before firmly planting his gaze on the fancy carpet of the living room, where it remained for the rest of the evening, it seemed.

Ben Parker had carried in a small shoulder bag and a beat-up rolling suitcase that had _P.P._ embroidered on it - they had briefly discussed on the phone what Peter should bring when he came to stay with Tony. Tony told them that he would be more than happy to provide Peter with all new clothing and furniture; the boy should only bring a few outfits and close keepsakes. Tony would provide his omega with anything else he might need. Indeed, he’d already had the closet in his bedroom remodeled to include a spacious walk-in area and ordered it to be filled with designer clothing tailored especially to Peter’s measurements. 

Peter was quiet during the ceremony, but whispered his consent to the pairing when prompted by Mr. Denning. The boy signed his name on their marriage certificate wordlessly. 

Tony, however, was thrilled to agree to marry Peter, and signed the paper with flourish. This simple act had gained him an omega; a partner for life, someone to cherish and cherish him in return. The thought alone had Tony smiling like an idiot. 

Mr. Denning had left shortly after - the ceremony was short and to the point, just how Tony liked things. After his departure, an awkward silence descended on the room. It was stifling, Peter’s intoxicating scent mixed with his hesitance, as well as May and Ben’s bland beta scents. 

“That went well,” said Tony, inwardly cringing at how awkward he sounded. What else was he supposed to say? Peter was currently acting like he had taken a vow of silence, whereas something akin to relief seemed to be tentatively emerging on May and Ben’s tense faces. 

“It did,” said Ben, moving toward Peter and Tony from his spot by the marble fireplace, “Proud of you, Pete,” the man whispered, embracing his nephew.

Tony noticed that Peter clung to his uncle like he was the last lifeboat at sea.

“Me too,” added May, moving to join the pair’s embrace. Tony could admit that he was a bit jealous - he hadn’t gotten to touch his new husband yet, apart from putting the hefty gold band on his left ring finger - but this was his omega’s family. 

“I guess we’d...better be, well, should we, uh, get going?” May piped up tentatively when the silence became too much to bear. 

Peter pulled his face away from where it was buried in his uncle’s chest, eyes wide with apprehension. Ben seemed to sense this, and began gently rubbing the boy’s back.

“We have to leave eventually, Pete,” he murmured, looking down at the omega, who reluctantly loosened his grip on the man. 

Both May and Ben seemed disinclined to leave their nephew; they kept casting unreadable looks towards the boy as they slowly made their way to the door. Tony took advantage of their distance from Peter to finally wrap an arm around his boy’s waist and pull him close. He didn’t miss the way his omega tensed up at the contact, and neither did May and Ben.

“Feel free to call whenever you like, Mr. and Mrs. Parker,” Tony called genially, hoping to hasten their exit. He couldn’t wait to have Peter to himself - hopefully his boy would be calmer once it was just the two of them. “We can arrange to have you come out again to visit sometime, too,” he added.

As generous as the offer was, Tony got the distinct impression that May and Ben would have rather taken Peter back home to their dismal little apartment in Queens. 

Peter was silent as they closed the door, his eyes remaining on it even after it shut. His scent changed from betrayal and apprehension to hints of dread as the sound of the Nissan’s motor started up, its headlights shining through the frosted glass of the front door. The car remained in Tony’s driveway for another minute before slowly pulling out and growing smaller as it passed the streetlights and other opulent homes on Tony’s street before disappearing altogether. 

Tony watched as Peter’s eyes remained glued to the vanishing vehicle; he gazed in that direction until Tony’s insistent touch at his side got his attention. Determined to remain composed in front of his new husband, Tony grasped the boy’s dainty hands and gently tugged him over towards the couch. 

“Let me have a look at you, sweetheart,” Tony murmured, sitting down and letting his eyes rake over his omega. 

Fuck. Peter was everything he imagined. Those photos didn’t do him justice. Tony took his time admiring the boy, from his long legs up to his fluffy curls. His omega was smartly dressed in dress pants that were probably hand-me-downs from his uncle, and a baby blue sweater. But Peter’s gorgeous eyes remained distant.

“What’s the matter, baby, hmm? Tell me,” Tony whispered, standing up to cup Peter’s slowly reddening face, admiring how small it looked in his large, work-callused hands. 

The boy seemed to be gathering up the courage to do something, which Tony found out a second later as his hands were swatted away.

“Don’t,” Peter ground out. 

Tony stood in front of the boy, hands still hovering near Peter’s face, the cute face he had been stroking moments ago, the face now red and twisted with something frightened and annoyed.

“What?” Tony muttered, dumbly. 

“Don’t touch me. I don’t” - a sniffle - “I don’t want this. I didn’t wanna...get married,” Peter grinds out, looking for all the world like he wished the fireplace was lit so he could throw himself in it. 

“Why not, baby?” Tony asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

“Don’t...I want to...go to school...I want…” - another sniffle, wetter this time - “I just want to stay with my Aunt and Uncle. Please, please, let me go back to them, please, just, lemme, _please-_”

Tony watched in alarm as Peter fell to his knees, his begging becoming inarticulate as it dissolved into sobs. Tony lowered himself to be at Peter’s level, hoping to calm his omega’s sudden panic attack.

“Hey, relax sweetheart, breathe for me,” Tony cooed, reaching out instinctively to rub Peter’s back, only to pull his hand away when the boy flinched at the contact.

“No, no, please, just...Mr. Stark, Mr. Stark - please! Let me go back!,” Peter sat on his haunches, looking up at the bewildered alpha before him.

“Easy, Petey, easy. Just relax, then we can talk, okay?” Tony tried as Peter seemed to start hyperventilating. Shit, this was not how he planned this night going at all. Still, touching the kid seemed to make things worse, so Tony restrained himself, giving his omega a minute to catch his breath and stop babbling. 

After a few long minutes, Peter seemed to regain some of his composure. Tony’s knees started to bother him, so he moved to sit on the couch. Jesus, it was only an hour ago he was sitting on this same couch waiting to meet Peter, who was an emotional wreck. He’d expected some nerves, a little token shyness and hesitance from his omega, but not this. Disappointment warred with sympathy as he took in the boy’s red, tear-streaked face. 

“Better, sweetheart?” Tony tried after another quiet minute slowly passed. 

“Mr…Mr. Stark,” Peter whispered from the floor, “I would like to go home, please.” 

Tony could tell it was taking a lot of guts for the omega to say such a thing to his new alpha, but it still struck a chord of annoyance in him. Peter didn’t even know him, and he wanted to leave? 

“I don’t think so, sweetheart,” Tony tried to say gently. This beautiful boy belonged to him now, and he wasn’t going to let him go so easily. 

Peter’s head snapped up at that, and his scent took on an agitated undertone. 

“Your Aunt and Uncle seemed happy with our match,” Tony started, trying to fill in the growing silence while attempting to squash the alpha part of his mind that wanted to focus on how utterly delicious Peter looked on his knees. _Not the time, Tony._

“They had to! It’s the law,” Peter wailed, expression going a bit wobbly, “they were glad you were...y’know, well off, and-and, Mr. Stark, not...not all marriages have to be, uh, real, I mean, like...some alphas just let their omegas…-”

“That’s not happening, Peter. I married you because I want to be with you,” Tony interrupted firmly, halting Peter’s increasingly frantic babble. 

Peter looked up at him blankly.

“Mr. Stark…”

“Listen, baby. I know some arranged marriages are just on paper, but I want the real thing,” stated Tony. He was growing rather frustrated with how this evening was turning out. Why the fuck would he have married Peter if not to be with him, to eventually mate and have pups with him? The crushed look on his omega’s face was doing nothing to improve his mood. 

“You want…?” Peter started, only to trail off again.

“I want to mate with you, eventually,” said Tony, figuring it couldn’t hurt to make his intentions clear with Peter. 

Peter’s eyes went comically wide at this.

“_No!_ No, no, please! I don’t...no, I don’t want to mate, no pups, no!” he wailed, starting to cry again. 

“Jesus, fuck, Peter, what the hell do you think I wanted you for?” asked Tony, growing increasingly annoyed. 

“I hoped you would be decent enough to let me go back to my family when I asked!” Peter shouted from his place on the floor. 

“You should consider yourself lucky to have an alpha that lets you get away with speaking to him like that,” muttered Tony, pointing a stern - and hopefully not too parental - finger at the frustrated boy on the floor. 

Peter looked chastened at that remark; it was true. Any other alpha probably wouldn’t have hesitated to take off their belt at such behavior, but Tony was hoping to gain this boy’s love without resorting to violence. 

“I promise I’ll treat you right, Peter,” Tony said, softer this time. “I don’t want us to resent each other. I just want to love you, baby.”

“Then why did you agree to an arranged marriage?” Peter asked, “Did you think your omega would just fall in love with you at first sight?” 

“No.” _Yes. Fuck._

“Well, you can forget it,” Peter declared, shakily getting to his feet. “I won’t...I’m gonna...I’ll find a spare bedroom. Don’t...Don’t even try to touch me.” 

Tony watched with a sinking heart as Peter grabbed his meager belongings from where his uncle had left them next to the door and disappeared up the stairs, taking his sweet scent and Tony’s hopes of a pleasant evening with him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided that I will update this story every Friday evening - well, it's evening for me here on the east coast, anyway.
> 
> Warnings for this chapter are in the notes at the bottom!

Peter was not making things easy for Tony. 

They had been married for a grand total of three days, and Tony was seriously considering letting his omega go back to live with his aunt and uncle. 

Okay, so his idea that Peter would immediately fall in love with him, leading to passionate lovemaking and a happy house omega singing in the kitchen and making him home cooked meals was pretty far-fetched, but he didn’t plan for things to be so goddamn _difficult._

He’d spent his first night as a married man alone in bed, tossing and turning in his big, empty California king, wondering which room Peter had commandeered, and how the boy was doing. He trusted his AI FRIDAY to let him know if Peter attempted anything radical, like trying to run away, but he also figured that Peter was smart enough to realize that he was miles away from Queens, and attempting to get back on his own was a serious risk for an unmated omega. 

That morning, he’d called Pepper and told her he wouldn’t be coming in to the lab that day. He didn’t offer up any details, but he figured that she knew well enough he’d just married his omega, and hoped she would just assume he wanted some time to get to know his young husband. Which he did. She didn’t need to know what a shit show it had been last night. 

Tony had tried bringing up some breakfast to Peter - toaster waffles, his specialty - and found his boy sleeping in the closet of the guest room furthest away from Tony’s suite. 

Peter had given him the silent treatment when questioned about his choice of sleeping place, and Tony, not wishing to antagonize him, left him the toaster waffles as a peace offering and decided to let Peter come to him instead. He realized he was treating his husband like a frightened and cornered animal, but that was how he was acting. 

He had underestimated his boy’s determination to avoid him. 

Tony spent the next few hours in his living room, deleting shit from his email, and answering a few messages he’d ignored for too long. He considered giving FRIDAY a good software upgrade, but felt too distracted to focus on anything too complex, so he settled for doing a few sets in his exercise room to burn off some excess energy. 

After a shower, Tony decided to try bringing Peter some lunch. When he arrived in Peter’s guest room with a messily cut turkey sandwich, he discovered the toaster waffles where he’d left them, cold and uneaten. 

Peter had at least emerged from the closet, and was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt from his suitcase, perched on the window seat next to the bed, staring forlornly out the window.

“I’ve got some lunch, sweetheart,” Tony called, setting the sandwich down.

No response. 

“If you want, I can bring you some of the clothes I bought you.”

Nothing. 

“You can stay in this room, baby. I’ll move your stuff in from my closet, okay?”

Silence. 

Tony figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially if the kid insisted on camping out in the guest room for the time being, so he busied himself with carrying over the shoes, outfits, sweaters, shirts, and other accessories he’d ordered for Peter into the guest room. The closet was soon full, and Tony noted with satisfaction that there was no room for Peter to huddle in there now, meaning the boy would have to sleep on the nice bed provided for him in the guest room. What was up with sleeping in the closet anyway? Was it because he wanted an extra door between himself and Tony? 

Peter still hadn’t eaten his sandwich once Tony was finished transferring the clothes. He’d attempted to talk to his omega once or twice, but was met with the same stony silence. 

He left Peter alone the rest of the day, went to bed alone again, and had another fitful night’s sleep.

The next two days went much like the first. Peter was silent and refused to eat. FRIDAY reported that he sipped some water from the sink in the guest bathroom, but that was about it. Tony had decided to go back to the lab on the second day, hoping that maybe his absence would encourage Peter to eat and perhaps explore the house a bit.

But by the third day, with Peter still refusing to eat - and refusing to wear any of the clothing Tony provided him with - the alpha was starting to grow concerned. He phoned the Parkers in Queens from the lab, and May informed him that Peter’s favorite food was thai, and some of that might encourage him to eat.

May had also offered to come over and try to coax Peter into eating, but Tony wanted to be the one to get his husband to eat. He wanted to be the one to provide for his omega, to show he cared.

So Tony came home that evening with loads of takeout from the best thai restaurant he could find, only for Peter to burst into tears upon smelling it. He pushed away a container of rice that Tony tried persuading him to eat, causing it to topple over and spill onto the carpet.

“Baby, you need to eat,” Tony coaxed, “this little hunger strike isn’t going to do anything but make you sick.” 

Peter, in his usual spot at the window seat, glanced at Tony and resumed looking out the window. 

“Peter,” Tony said firmly, “eat the damn food. I won’t have you starving to death in my house.” Tony opened another container of a different spicy-smelling dish, and sat down next to Peter on the window seat. Forgoing the provided chopsticks, he pulled out a spoon he brought along with him, and with his free hand, attempted to pull the omega onto his lap.

Touching Peter seemed to flip a switch in the boy; he immediately went from a silent, teary-eyed waif to a screaming, thrashing wildcat. Tony ended up dropping the spoon and the food while trying to hold the boy still on his lap. 

“Goddammit, Peter, fucking _sit still!_” Tony shouted in frustration, using all of his alpha strength to keep the boy in his lap, “You need to eat! Stop fighting!”

“No! Let me go! Let me go!” Peter shrieked, clawing at Tony’s vice-like grip. 

“Why are you being so fucking difficult?” growled Tony, holding fast while Peter’s shrieking and kicking weakened, likely from his days of self-appointed fasting.

“No…please…” Peter’s fighting slowly ceased, although he kept up some half hearted wiggling and whining. Tony refused to weaken his hold even when the omega’s struggles ceased. Soon Peter was quiet, but Tony could still feel the boy’s labored breaths.

“Sweetheart, I’m going to let you go, and we’re going to get you some food in you, okay?” Tony whispered into his omega’s ear.

Upon releasing his hold, Tony quickly grabbed another takeout container and immediately returned to his spot next to Peter in the window. Tony decided to chalk up the fact that Peter didn’t try to bolt to the fact that he was willing to listen to his alpha as opposed to just being weak from hunger and struggling. 

Tony got a spoonful of something that smelled strongly of vegetables and spices and let out a pleased rumble when the boy half-heartedly chewed and swallowed his portion.

Fuck, it was satisfying to see his omega eat.

Tony spoon-fed him a few more mouthfuls of takeout, satisfaction curling in his chest as he fed the boy.

“Good job, Petey, thank you, baby,” he whispered after Peter swallowed another spoonful. 

A strange expression crossed Peter’s face at that remark, and Tony briefly wondered if he had something against that particular pet name, when the boy suddenly lurched off his lap and staggered to the ensuite bathroom. 

Before Tony could react or ask what was going on, the awful sound of retching reached his ears. The alpha dropped the takeout container and raced to the bathroom, only to see Peter, his beautiful husband, sprawled on the floor near the toilet, crying and hiccuping, a sickening smell in the air.

_Guess curry isn’t good for an empty stomach,_ Tony thought miserably as he listened to his boy weep. 

The alpha gently scooped the boy from the floor and sat him up next to the toilet in case he felt sick again, and numbly proceeded to clean up the spilled food in the guest room, before going downstairs to make some plain toast. 

Tony brought the toast and a glass of water back to Peter’s room, and joined his husband in the bathroom. Silently, Tony sat the tray down on the counter and took a flannel from a nearby cabinet. He wet it with warm water and kneeled down next to the toilet where Peter was still sitting.

He gently began to wipe Peter’s tear stained face and mouth off, feeling his heart break a little when the omega shut his eyes and tried to turn his head away.

“Peter,” Tony whispered, “Peter, please. I don’t want to see you like this. I brought you some dry toast and water. If you eat it for me, I’ll take you to visit your aunt and uncle, okay? Just...please eat something.”

Peter opened his eyes, looking surprised. 

“Really?” Peter asked in a cracked whisper.

“Of course. I would never keep you from them, baby,” Tony answered, bringing the glass of water over, relieved when the omega took a big sip.

The next half hour was spent in silence, Tony watching with a mixture of relief and sorrow as his young husband nibbled away at the toast and sipped at the water until both were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Mentions of vomit, issues with food. Slight non-con touching, but nothing to bad/graphic.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this a bit early today because I'm not sure I'll have time later. Warnings for this chapter at the bottom!

The visit to May and Ben had done wonders for Peter, and Tony couldn’t be more pleased. He wanted Peter to know that he could be a good alpha, and would treat him right. 

Sure Peter was still standoffish, shy, and refused to wear any clothing that Tony bought for him, but at least he was eating and responding to Tony with more than just monosyllables. 

The other day, Peter had shyly asked permission to explore the large backyard attached to Tony’s house, and the alpha had gladly agreed. He was thrilled to walk around outside with Peter trailing behind him, eyes taking in the large pool, the expansive gardens that someone - not Tony - took great care of. 

Tony encouraged Peter to feel free to swim and wander the garden while he was at work - this was his home, too, after all, and he wanted the boy to feel comfortable in it. Tony was still a little rankled that Peter refused to move from the guest room, which didn’t have a single homey touch - Peter kept the room as sterile and unlived in as it was the day he arrived. He was still living out of the small suitcase he had brought with him. 

It was during one of their awkward evenings together - Tony tried to get Peter to watch movies and talk about his day with him when he came home from work - that Peter revealed he had met one of Tony’s neighbors.

“Which one?” Tony asked, folding over another slice of pizza and shoveling it into his mouth. 

“Mr. Beck,” Peter answered, finishing his own slice of pepperoni.

“Ugh, he’s a prick,” Tony replied, licking the grease off his thumb. Quentin Beck was a snivelling lawyer who lived to the left of Tony. His house was smaller and less well-kept than some of the others in the neighborhood, but going off his ego you’d think he lived in the fucking Taj Mahal. 

Tony much preferred the quiet couple that lived on the other side, or even the annoying muscle-y blonde alpha that lived across from him who was always on his porch doodling and painting shit. 

“He seemed nice enough,” Peter answered, dusting the crumbs off his lap. Without another word, he left for his room, leaving Tony alone once again.

*

The following week went about the same. Peter was eating and drinking normally, but still refused to wear anything other than the jeans and t-shirts he brought with him. His room remained bare, and his conversations with Tony were few and far between.

Tony considered it a major victory whenever the boy said more than a single word to him. It had taken a lot of coaxing to persuade Peter to come to the living room to watch movies in the evening, and when Peter had suggested _Star Wars_ the other night, Tony was elated. God, just hearing the boy’s voice was a rare treat - knowing something about his preferences was a gift from above. 

Tony encouraged Peter to go outside and enjoy the summer sunshine and the pool as often as he wished. His husband had taken a shine to tending the small, weed-filled garden patch near the fence that separated Tony’s property from Beck’s. 

The only thing that bothered him about Peter’s latest hobby was that it sometimes brought him into contact with their neighbor, Quentin. Every time Tony came home and found his boy pottering around the marigolds he’d bought for him and saw Quentin mooning at him over the fence, something alpha welled up in his chest that made him want to rip Beck’s eyes out for just looking at the omega.

Tony figured that turning into a total knothead would not help endear Peter to him, so he tried to tolerate the genial politeness Peter showed their neighbor. 

Besides, Peter was starting to really come out of his shell, and Tony didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the progress they were making. He was kind of frustrated with the general lack of affection; hell, this was the longest he’d ever gone without getting laid, but he was at the point where he was willing to do anything if it meant keeping Peter. 

He’d given Peter his own laptop, StarkPhone, tablet, and a top-of-the-line gaming system, but FRIDAY reported that he rarely used anything other than the laptop. When Tony asked his girl what Peter was looking up - he didn’t want to pry, but he was curious, that’s all - she told him that Peter had surfed a few news sites, broswed memes, looked at a map of the neighborhood, and downloaded some scientific journals. 

Tony was rather impressed with the last one - he got the sense that his boy was smart, but based on the level of journals he was reading, the omega could be borderline brilliant. Perhaps once he’d settled in a bit more, Tony would invite his husband to join him in the lab. 

That evening, he came home from said lab a bit later than usual. When he stumbled through the door, he was surprised to find Peter in the living room, wearing one of the smart designer outfits Tony had purchased for him before he arrived. A nature documentary was playing on the large flatscreen. 

Peter glanced up at Tony in the doorway and whispered a quiet, “Hello, alpha.”

Tony almost did a double-take. Was Peter really out of his room, talking to him? What prompted this miracle? 

“Hello, sweetheart,” Tony said once he’d recovered from his surprise. “How was your day?”

“Good, alpha. How was yours?” the boy asked quietly. 

“It was pretty good, but it just got better,” Tony said softly, wanting to approach his omega but terrified he would break whatever spell currently had Peter so...agreeable. 

Peter smiled, so Tony took that as an opportunity to come a bit closer. “Can I...can I sit with you, sweetheart?” Tony asked hesitantly, holding his breath in anticipation of Peter’s answer. 

Peter nodded. 

Slowly, Tony eased himself down on the sofa a respectable distance from Peter. He longed to pull the boy close, cuddle him on his lap, press kisses on that milky neck...but he knew just being invited to sit by his omega was a wonderful surprise. 

“I made you some dinner, alpha,” Peter said after a minute, looking at Tony shyly.

Tony’s heart leapt in his chest - Peter had cooked for him? As cliche as it was, Tony had always fantasized about having an omega that wanted to care for him and make his meals. He was a notoriously terrible cook himself, and had a bad habit of forgetting to eat on time. 

“What did you make, sweetheart?” asked Tony, unable to keep the gleeful smile off his face. 

“Some pasta with alfredo. FRIDAY said you liked that,” replied Peter, looking pleased with himself.

“I do, baby. Want me to help get it ready?” Tony asked, positive he was smiling like a total dumbass. 

“I can do it, alpha,” said Peter, getting up and scurrying off to the kitchen. 

Tony sat back on the couch, still smiling. What had prompted Peter to suddenly become talkative and accommodating? Whatever it was, Tony knew better than to try and question it or push his luck, so he waited a few moments before making his way into the kitchen to enjoy one of the nicest meals of his life. 

*

Cloud nine smelled like honeysuckle and lilac, and tasted like endless home cooked meals. 

Fuck, those early weeks of turmoil with Peter were more than worth this hesitant truce the boy seemed to have come to in regard to his alpha. For the past week, Peter had made Tony dinner and there was a neat lunch packed and ready for him in the mornings. Peter spoke to him a bit more - never any deep conversations, but Tony still hung on every word. 

Tony still had FRIDAY monitoring Peter while he was at work. Peter mostly looked up recipes on his laptop, pottered around the kitchen, and spent time asking FRIDAY endless questions about how she worked, what Tony did, what the neighborhood was like, what was around, and sometimes asked the AI to clarify something particularly difficult the boy occasionally came across in the more advanced science journals he liked to read. 

To say Tony was delighted to know more about Peter was an understatement. He gave anything and everything Peter said his full attention, and often found his thoughts wandering to his beautiful young husband even while tinkering in the lab - a place where he was usually single-minded and focused on his work. 

On this particular day, Tony was especially distracted. He couldn’t figure out why; nothing was out of the ordinary. Peter had left him a delicious chicken sandwich, sliced fruit, and chocolate chip cookies for lunch. Nothing could compare to how fucking good it felt to have his omega care for him, and Tony absolutely relished it. 

He was supposed to go to some stupid shareholder’s meeting that afternoon - Pepper had been reminding him of it all week - so he was thrilled when she sent word through FRIDAY that the meeting was cancelled. 

Since he wasn’t being all that productive in the lab, Tony figured he could take the opportunity to head home early from work. The idea of spending a little extra time trying to get Peter to warm up to him sounded absolutely divine. 

The drive home was unusually quick - a perk of leaving before nighttime rush hour from the city. Tony decided against parking his car in the garage and left it in the driveway. He figured that since he was home early, maybe Peter hadn’t cooked anything yet, and maybe he could persuade his husband to go out to a restaurant with him. That would be amazing; a night out with his perfect omega, trying new food, learning his likes and dislikes…

Tony strode through the front door and nearly collided with the object of his daydreaming. 

In the few seconds he had to observe Peter, he noticed that the boy was once again dressed in a t-shirt and jeans from his time before Tony. In one hand, the omega clutched his embroidered luggage, while in the other, he had the small shoulder bag Tony remembered from the day Peter arrived. 

A quick glance to the accent table in the hall revealed Peter’s wedding band, glinting in the late afternoon sun. 

Peter himself looked torn between being gobsmacked and devastated. 

“You’re home early, alpha,” the boy murmured shakily, eyes darting around. 

As Tony took in the scene before him, his usually overactive brain struggled to piece together what he was seeing. Was Peter planning on going somewhere? With his stuff...and not his ring?

“I am,” Tony replied slowly, reaching around to shut the front door. 

Tony’s movement seemed to startle the boy into action, because before he even had the chance to grasp the doorknob, he heard the sound of Peter’s bags hitting the ground, almost immediately followed by a strong shove. 

Before the alpha could even process what was happening, Peter had darted out the door with surprising speed. 

Instinctively, Tony gave chase. The boy only made it about halfway across the front lawn before Tony’s large strides caught up to him, his strong arms grabbing the omega firmly from behind. 

“No! Let me go!” Peter screamed, kicking and thrashing fiercely. 

“What the fuck were you trying to do, Pete, huh?” Tony growled, still trying to keep his grip on his frantically squirming husband. “Were you trying to run away? Do you know how _fucking dangerous_ that is?” he panted, desperately trying to maintain his hold while avoiding Peter’s brutal kicks. 

“Let me go! _Let me go!_ Help! Please! Let me go! Someone help!” Peter was red-faced and screaming at the top of his lungs. Tony was getting exhausted keeping the kid from getting away, but his only other option was to let his husband go, and he did _not_ want to lose him. Didn’t want him to leave, to disappear. 

Tony was able to grab Peter’s hands and wrap an arm around his wildly kicking legs, effectively stopping the boy’s thrashing. He still screamed at an unholy decibel, and refused to stop his frantic squirming. 

“Peter, stop!” Tony yelled ineffectually, starting to carry his hysterical husband back into the house. The last thing he needed was the neighbors or anyone walking by to witness this meltdown. Shit, everything had been going so well, too. 

“You’re gonna get back in this goddamn house and put my fucking ring back on,” Tony swore, shifting Peter so his husband was thrown over the alpha’s shoulder. 

“No! Put me down!” Peter screamed, pounding on Tony’s back with his small fists. The little omega roughly kicked his legs and clawed at Tony’s back, taking advantage of the change in position to desperately worm himself out of Tony’s grasp.

Tony whirled around to see Peter on his hands and knees, scrambling to get up and continue his escape. Tony was quick to grab the frantic boy, tossing him over his shoulder again, careful to keep a stronger grip on his omega’s thrashing legs; there was nothing he could do to stop the boy’s hands hitting his back. 

“Don’t hit me, Peter. I’m already well within my rights to spank you black and blue for this,” Tony growled, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth. Christ, what was he thinking? That was _not_ going to make Peter more cooperative. 

He was right.

Peter’s efforts to escape immediately escalated; his wailing grew impossibly louder and his hits even harder. 

But Tony just held on tighter as he made his way to the door. 

It was a loud struggle, but Tony managed to get the omega back into the house. He put him down once they were through the front door, which he immediately locked. Peter, red-faced and sobbing, collapsed on the living room floor. 

Near tears himself, Tony sunk to the ground and buried his face in his hands, trying to take a few steadying breaths. Jesus, just an hour ago he was looking forward to a quiet evening with his husband and maybe getting the chance to possibly hold the boy’s hand. His first opportunity to embrace his omega, and it was to stop him from fucking escaping right out the front door. 

It could have been a few minutes or a few hours - Tony couldn’t tell - when Peter’s heaving, hiccuping breaths finally stopped. Tony risked peeking out from his hands to see Peter looking at him with the most sullen, dismayed expression.

“What, Peter?” Tony rasped out, “What happened?” He didn’t expect an answer, but he got one.

“I was going to take a bus to New Jersey. They just abolished arranged marriages. I figured I could hide out there until New York finally does the same,” Peter said, his voice raspy and nasally from his earlier screaming and tears. 

Peter might have well as punched Tony in the chest with each sentence. Tony’s brain - which had been so sluggish just prior to Peter’s escape attempt - suddenly kicked into gear, and everything from the past week clicked into place.

Peter asking FRIDAY about the neighborhood - shit, there was a bus station just a few miles away. Peter listening intently to Tony telling him his work schedule. Peter watching the news so closely. Peter being so fucking nice to him, throwing him off the scent of his unhappiness, distracting him, lulling him into a false sense of security that his omega, his husband, was actually starting to like him, when the whole time he was just plotting his escape. 

Tony couldn’t help the tears that welled up in his eyes, and at this point, he couldn’t muster the strength to hide them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Author physically unable to write in anything other than past tense, heavy angst for Peter and Tony.
> 
> Leave a comment or kudos if you liked this chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No real warnings for this chapter. The eye of the angst storm, if you will.

Life with Peter slowly returned to how it was before he tried his great escape, but with the addition of palpable tension between the two. Tony could no longer find joy in eating the delicious meals Peter cooked for him - was it just his boy planning some other way to leave again? Was he just cooking because he was bored and unhappy? - and the single-word answers to Tony’s questions broke his heart instead of making it flutter. 

He’d been so pleased with how Peter seemed to be slowly warming up to him, but now everything was tainted with suspicion and disappointment. How could the boy be happy with him if he felt so strongly against arranged marriages? 

Of course, to make matters worse, the day after Peter’s escape attempt, his annoying neighbor Steve took it upon himself to come over to see if everyone was okay. It was just like that self-righteous asshole to _just make sure everything is alright over here_ after seeing and hearing Peter’s scream-fest the day before.

“Everything’s fine, Rogers,” Tony assured him, rubbing his eyes and trying to ignore Steve’s irritatingly wholesome alpha scent of apple pie. 

“Things didn’t sound fine yesterday,” pressed Steve, taking a sip of the beer Tony had felt obligated to offer him when he came over. 

The pair were currently in Tony’s living room across from one another, Steve in the large overstuffed chair near the door and Tony on his sofa. 

“That’s because they weren’t. They’re fine now,” Tony insisted, absently swirling his own beer. Peter was currently hiding in his guest room doing who-knows-what. Part of Tony hoped he would stay put in order to prevent his husband from facing Steve’s obnoxiously friendly concern, but another part of him wished his boy would come out and prove to Steve that _everything was fucking fine._

“Tony, why are you so insistent on keeping him here? Surely it isn’t worth the trouble to have an omega who wants nothing to do with you?” asked Steve. 

“Because I...I think...well, I love him. I want to love him. He smells like - home. And mate. I want to be with him.” And fuck it if he hadn’t already had this conversation with Pepper and Rhodey a million times over the past few weeks. 

Tony had tried to communicate this desire to Peter, tried to sit him down and make him see that all Tony wanted was to be allowed to love him. That he would protect him. Be good to him. 

But all Peter seemed to see when he looked at Tony was an alpha denying him his freedom. It didn’t matter how much Tony tried to dote on the boy. 

It was woefully paradoxical - a true impasse; the only thing Tony could do to please Peter would be to free him from their marriage, but it was also the only thing Tony felt he could never do. 

And, okay, yeah, Tony could send Peter back to his aunt and uncle and just be married on paper. Peter could do what he wanted without having to worry about being married off. Tony could be the hero Peter had hoped he’d be…

...but he just couldn’t. Once he’d seen Peter, smelled him, spent some time with him...Tony wasn’t sure he could live knowing the beautiful omega didn’t belong to him, or not seeing him daily. 

Did that make Tony as much of a greedy bastard as he felt?

As far as Peter seemed to be concerned, it was that detail that solidified Tony as nothing more than a tolerable jailer in his mind. Not letting Peter go home despite his obvious desire to do so cancelled out everything benevolent the alpha did. 

Jesus, even freaking Obadiah Stane from the board of directors had hinted that he should give up Peter, that Peter was a bad idea. _An uncooperative omega, hm, Tony? I guess that’s what you get for insisting on having that piece from Queens. You always were swayed by looks. But it’s not good for your image - or the Stark Industries image, you know. Well, you better bite that boy before someone else does._

“I don’t want to tell you how to live” -_yes you do, Captain Morality_\- “but the best way to win him over might be to let him leave. You know, if you love something, let it go, right?” said Steve, interrupting Tony’s thoughts. 

Tony inwardly growled at the idea. 

“Listen, from what you’ve told me, he just wants to go back to Queens. Let him. Maybe with time he’ll realize you only want the best for him,” Steve continued. 

“But what if he doesn’t?” asked Tony, hoping his question didn’t sound as small and miserable as he felt. _Vulnerable. Not good enough._

“Tony,” Steve sighed, “you should really consider getting your head out of the sand.” 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Tony asked, putting his beer down with more force than necessary. 

“What I mean is that Peter tried to escape to New Jersey. Jersey just abolished arranged marriages. Voided a ton of them. New York is going to be next, Tony. It’s only a matter of time.” 

“So?” replied Tony, feeling petulant and helpless.

“So,” Steve huffed, crossing his arms, “it might only be a matter of time before Peter will be able to walk out of this house and there will be nothing you can do to stop him.” 

*

Tony’s conversation with Steve was still fresh in his mind the following day. He was useless in the lab again, only managing to piss Pepper off with his unusual absentmindedness. FRIDAY informed him that Peter had discovered the piano Tony had no fucking clue he even owned - hey, it was a big house, and he didn’t decorate it - and was trying to teach himself a few notes of some easy song he’d looked up on his laptop. 

When Tony arrived home for the evening, he was pleasantly surprised to hear the faint notes of the piano drifting through the house from the rarely used parlor off the living room. 

Like a scene out of a fairy tale - or one of Tony’s dreams - his omega sat at the piano, ever so slowly touching the keys, causing soft sounds to fill the room. The late evening sun made his hair shine with an otherworldly light, and Tony was in awe of how ethereal the boy looked. 

Tony could just barely recognize the tune Peter was attempting to play - it was something old, something that tickled the very faint edges of a memory that he just couldn’t quite place.

He thought he could watch his husband’s fingers gently drift over the keys for the rest of eternity and be satisfied. Peter seemed to be slowly mouthing words along with the notes he played, and Tony yearned to know what he was singing. 

Peter stopped suddenly and turned, likely catching Tony’s alpha scent drifting in from the doorway.

“That sounded beautiful, sweetheart,” Tony whispered, not wanting to break the gentle peace in the room. 

Peter’s eyes met his, but his expression didn’t give anything away. 

“I’ll start dinner,” Peter murmured, closing the laptop and moving to leave the piano bench. 

Tony wanted to tell him it was fine, that he didn’t have to cook, that he could do whatever he wanted, but nothing came out. He just watched as Peter drifted past him to the kitchen, feeling haunted by the silence left behind. 

*

It was while Peter busied himself in the kitchen that Tony heard a knock on the front door. He rarely received visitors that didn’t let him know they were stopping by ahead of time, so he was truly baffled as to who it could be. 

When he opened the door, his expression of _ugh, it’s you_ was mirrored on the face of his visitor, Quentin Beck. 

“Can I help you?” Tony asked, feigning politeness to his neighbor. 

“Yeah, is Peter here?” Beck asked, fiddling with something in his hands.

“He is, but he’s busy,” Tony answered tersely. Why the hell was Beck coming over here to ask about his omega?

“Oh, alright,” Beck answered, his fake smile dropping a bit. “Can you give him this?” Beck asked, holding something out to Tony.

“What is it?” Tony asked, carefully eyeing the reddish-purple item in Beck’s hand.

“Homemade raspberry jam. I make it from the berries that grow on the fence. Peter mentioned that he never had any, so I brought him some to try,” said Beck, handing Tony a jar with a hand-written label on it. 

Tony tentatively took the jar from Beck’s outstretched hand and placed it on the table in the entryway. “Great, I’ll make sure he gets it,” Tony assured him, feeling wonderfully insincere and already planning to completely forget about Beck’s visit. 

“And tell him I said hi, alright?” Beck said, eyes darting past Tony as if he expected Peter to appear at any moment. 

“I will, bye Quentin,” said Tony, barely restraining himself from slamming the door in the other alpha’s face. 

When Tony turned around, he was surprised to see Peter standing there, his eyes darting between the door and his alpha.

“Uh, Beck says hi,” Tony said dumbly, not sure how much Peter had already heard and figured out. 

Wordlessly, the omega reached out for the small jar of jam, and turned it over in his grip with a fond smile that made Tony’s stomach clench.

Peter drifted back to the kitchen, but tossed an absent, “Dinner’s ready, alpha,” over his shoulder before disappearing. 

Dinner was delicious as always. Peter had cooked a roast, seasoned to perfection, along with scalloped potatoes and buttered vegetables. The only thing Tony didn’t have an appetite for was the freshly baked bread slathered with raspberry jam. 

*  
*

Having an omega was often touted as being one of the best things an alpha could ask for. Studies had shown that being mated - or even just spending time near a pleasant-smelling omega - could do wonders for an alpha’s blood pressure, heart rate, metabolism, and sleep cycle.

Whoever had done that study had obviously not included Peter Stark among the sample omegas. 

Tony had never had a great sleep schedule to begin with - one of the downfalls of being a genius, perhaps - but Peter’s presence dredged up awful sleep habits he thought he’d gotten over back in college. 

Tony’s sleep was fitful at best that particular night. He’d tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position, when he finally decided _screw it_, he’ll jump off the wagon for a bit and pour himself a drink. 

Stumbling downstairs in the dark without managing to hurt himself on any of the furniture was a feat worthy of the whiskey Tony planned on treating himself with. As he made his way to the kitchen - he kept a small bottle of his favorite malt hidden under the sink; Pepper and Rhodey would never find it there - he noticed that the light was still on.

Had he forgotten to turn it off before going to bed? 

Crossing the threshold into the kitchen revealed the source of the light - Peter was perched on a stool at the breakfast bar, nose buried in one of Tony’s old books. 

At the sound and scent of Tony’s arrival, Peter’s head popped up from the book, his eyes wide and alarmed.

“What are you doing awake at this hour, sweetheart?” Tony asked, trying to keep his tone neutral. He didn’t want Peter to think he was upset with him being out of bed or anything. 

“Reading,” Peter whispered, so low Tony almost didn’t hear him, “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Oh? Are you feeling alright?” Tony asked, coming a bit closer.

“Yeah,” Peter murmured, “Just not tired.”

“Same here, I guess,” Tony said, stopping in front of the breakfast bar. “Mind if I join you?” he asked tentatively.

Peter didn’t give a verbal answer, but since he hadn’t jumped up and run away, Tony took it as a good sign, and slowly sat down across from his husband. From this angle, Tony could make out the cover of the book Peter was reading - it was a collection of lectures given at Caltech in 60s. Not exactly everyone’s choice of bedtime reading. 

“Feynman Lectures, huh?” prompted Tony.

Peter nodded without looking up from the book.

“Where did you learn so much about physics, baby?” 

Silence.

“At school? Was it your favorite subject?”

Nothing. 

“Alright...what else do you like? Biology? Engineering? Chemistry?” Tony tried. 

Peter’s eyes darted up when Tony mentioned the last subject, so Tony ran with it.

“You like chemistry, sweetheart? That’s a good subject. I do some occasional chem work in my lab,” Tony mentioned, feeling desperate to gain and keep Peter’s attention. 

“I know about Stark Industries,” said Peter softly. 

“You do, huh?”

Peter nodded.

“How would you like to come with me to the lab tomorrow? Show you around?” It was his lab, after all. He could bring in whoever he wanted. Someone obnoxious like Stane might say something about having an omega in the lab, but Pepper wouldn’t care. 

His omega looked like he had just been asked to divide by zero.

“You would...take me...to your lab? At SI?” Peter asked after a long minute. 

“Of course, baby,” said Tony, resisting the urge to reach across the table, push the book out of Peter’s grasp, and embrace his lovely little hands. 

“Why?” asked Peter, honey eyes wide with curiosity and hesitance. 

“Because I want you to be happy. Simple as that. You seem to like science. I happen to have a lab…”

Peter’s lips quirked into the tiniest of smiles at that, but for Tony, it was like watching the sun peek out from behind the clouds after days of rain. God, he would do _anything_ to see more of that perfect smile on his omega’s face. 

“And you wouldn’t...ask for anything in return?” Peter questioned quietly, smile fading and eyes leaving Tony. 

The alpha was pretty sure Peter had gotten over his fear that Tony was going to pin him down and force a mating - a fear that had haunted his omega the first few weeks - but Peter remained vigilant for any sign that Tony’s benevolence was a facade or a ploy to coerce the boy into sex. 

“Of course not, sweetheart. Look, set your alarm for 7:00 tomorrow morning, okay? We’ll get up, have some breakfast, and I’ll take you to the lab. Sound good?” 

“Alright, alpha,” murmured Peter, closing his book and swiftly scurrying back upstairs. 

Tony sat at the breakfast bar a minute longer until he heard the door to Peter’s guest room click shut. 

Tony slept peacefully the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Let me know with a comment or kudos if you did. I love interacting with you! Yes, you!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, lovely people, a schedule change for me means I will now be updating this story on Mondays. Happy reading!

There seemed to be two distinct Peters, Tony mused, looking at his husband over lunch at the lab the next day. There was one who was quiet, hesitant, and closed off. This Peter avoided Tony at all costs, went out of his way to avoid conversations of more than a few words, and gave off the scent of distrust. 

This was the Peter he lived with at home. 

The other Peter, the one who emerged in the lab, was someone else entirely. This Peter was still quiet, but much more observant, willing to get a bit closer to Tony to see what he was doing, and smelled like hope and excitement. 

This was the Peter that Tony always wanted his husband to be. Happy. Alive. Trusting. 

The pair developed something of a routine over the next week. Peter would wake up at 7:00 and join Tony for some traditional toaster waffles for breakfast. Peter would pack lunches for the two of them - despite Tony’s assurances that he could order them something to eat - and then it was off to the lab for the day. 

Getting Peter into his vehicle was another challenge, at first. Peter didn’t seem to like being in a confined space with Tony, but no matter how much the alpha wanted to hold his husband’s hand for the drive, he gave Peter his space, and the boy gradually relaxed.

Being in such close quarters with his omega was sweet, sweet torture; a true exercise in restraint. In the Audi, Peter’s intoxicating honeysuckle and lilac scent seemed to be amplified, so by the time they arrived at the SI building, Tony was uncomfortably stiff in his slacks. 

He really hoped that any lingering scent of arousal Peter might smell on him wouldn’t scare the already hesitant boy away. No matter how much he assured Peter he wasn’t going to, well, assault him, his omega remained skeptical, and Tony resigned himself to let his actions speak for him. Sooner or later, Peter would have to understand that he'd rather die than hurt the boy. 

But Peter positively _blossomed_ in the lab. He was so smart, so engrossed, that Tony decided to let him play around with some of the left over parts on one of the spare tables. Peter had been so absorbed in his fiddlings that Tony thought he might have to pry his husband away from the table at the end of the day.

The best part was that Peter wasn’t just screwing around in the lab. He was _inventing_. By the third day, Peter had developed a formula for a biodegradable plastic that he had modeled on the composition of spider webs. He had a rudimentary working prototype by the second week. 

To say Tony was impressed would be an understatement. 

He was floored and fucking _elated_ to see Peter so happy. It was all he felt he would ever want for the rest of his life; to see Peter as pleased and peaceful as he was working in the lab. 

It was contagious and intoxicating, Peter’s joy. 

“It’s gonna be great if I can finally figure out what keeps causing this bioplastic to dissolve so quickly, you know?” Peter had commented over lunch one day. Tony had finally convinced Peter to let him order them some food, and they were currently enjoying some pho from Tony’s favorite Vietnamese place. “That’s the only real flaw. If I can extend the lifespan to the average shipping time for products, I think this could be a pretty awesome way to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean.” 

Peter was slurping noodles as he chatted about his bioplastic, more at ease than Tony had ever seen him. Was this what he was like before their marriage? So passionate, so open?

Part of Tony wanted to celebrate how much Peter’s outlook had improved, to continue to show his husband that he could make him deliriously happy, if he would only let Tony do so. 

But the part that won out was the small, insecure part of Tony that was terrified of scaring his omega off, so he continued to give Peter his space. 

A day later, the pair were in the lab again, Tony elbow-deep in a nanotech police vest he was developing when he heard an ecstatic whoop from the direction of Peter’s work station. 

Looking up, he saw his husband smiling radiantly and holding up a titration flask. 

“It worked! Changing the polymer compound worked!” Peter exclaimed, gently placing the flask on his table and removing his safety goggles, disheveling his soft brown curls. 

“You did it?” Tony asked, making his way over to Peter. 

“Yes! I just tested it! This formula has lasted a whole week, and dissolves in saline solution! It’s perfect,” said Peter, beaming. 

“That’s fantastic, sweetheart,” said Tony sincerely, coming closer to inspect Peter’s bioplastic. 

He picked up the titration flask and examined the solution inside; as Peter said, it appeared to be nothing more than saline solution. On the table next to Peter’s notes, Tony noticed a few old circuit boards neatly wrapped in the bioplastic, each one carefully dated to indicate when the adhesive had been applied.

“I’m so glad it worked, you know? I was starting to think it wasn’t going to, especially when it started smoking that one time, but then it just came to me, I guess…”

“This is incredibly promising, Pete,” said Tony, turning his attention to his omega, who smelled wonderfully like excitement and joy, the honeysuckle in his scent amplified. 

“You really think so?” the boy asked, looking up at Tony earnestly. 

“I do. Tell me, how do you feel about working on getting a patent for this? Stark Industries could fund your research…” Tony offered, hoping the boy wouldn’t get the wrong impression and think the alpha was going to try to commandeer the invention.

“Are you serious? You want me to work on this some more? You’d help?” asked Peter, a huge smile blooming across his sunny face.

“Definitely, Pete. This is amazing,” assured Tony, finding himself drifting closer to this hypnotizing omega. 

“Wow. I can’t wait to work on developing some other applications for this. It’s really strong. I could probably bungee jump using this stuff,” said Peter, who let out the most endearing giggle, clearly still elated with his breakthrough. 

It was such a perfect sound, Tony couldn’t help but chuckle softly too, and lean in a bit closer. Peter hadn’t seemed to mind his closeness earlier, and he didn’t smell apprehensive at all. 

In fact, he smelled nothing short of perfect. Had he ever smelled happy Peter before?

He smelled soft, and sweet...so ripe, untouched and innocent…_so, so good_…

Without realizing it, Tony found he had gotten much closer to Peter; he was practically pressing the omega up against the work table. His hands were digging into the boy’s slim hips, and his nose was buried in his husband’s soft, biteable neck, greedily taking in his delectable scent…

...and the alpha was growling deeply. 

Shit.

_Shitshitshit..._

The intoxicating fragrance of Peter’s excitement - the scent that seemed to effortlessly hypnotize the alpha - had changed to one of fear and betrayal. Before Tony could muster the effort to extricate himself from the embrace and apologize, he felt small hands carefully but firmly push him away. 

Looking down at Peter’s face, he could see that the fearful, closed-off look in Peter’s eyes from his early days with Tony had returned, and the alpha’s heart plunged from the heights it had been soaring at only moments ago. 

“Peter - I’m so sorry…” Tony tried.

“Just...don’t ever do that again,” Peter whispered, scurrying off to collect his things to go home. 

Their drive home that day was silent. 

*

As soon as they got home that evening, Peter darted off to his room without a word. 

So, yeah, Tony was already in a shit mood when the doorbell rang. 

He swung open the front door with more force than necessary to reveal Quentin Beck.

“You’re like a boomerang, Beck. You keep coming back here,” Tony snapped, not in the mood to deal with his neighbor. 

“I got some of your mail with mine,” said Beck, ignoring Tony’s remark.

“Who the hell sends me paper mail anymore?” Tony asked, taking the proffered envelope. It was junk mail for fucking boner pills, but it was indeed addressed to _Mr. Tony Stark or Current Resident_. “Why didn’t you just throw this out, Beck?” 

“It’s addressed to you,” Beck stated, “Didn’t want to be thrown in jail for tampering with the mail or anything.” 

“What a model citizen you are,” Tony deadpanned, tossing the envelope aside carelessly, “You should start a neighborhood watch or something.” 

“Is Peter here?” Beck asked, looking past Tony and into the house.

“Why do you want to know?” Tony asked, ready to just slam the door in this guy’s face. 

“Well, I haven’t seen him out in the garden as much lately, and I just wanted to make sure he was okay,” Beck stated simply, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

Tony was torn between wanting to punch the guy for implying that Peter might be anything other than _perfectly fine_ under his care, and wanting to apologize for being such a dick when maybe the guy was really just being polite. 

“He’s good. He’s been coming to work with me the past few weeks,” Tony replied. 

“You let him go to work with you?” Beck asked, sounding bewildered. 

“Yeah, so? He’s good in the lab.”

“I bet he is,” Beck agreed - there was nothing damning about his words, but something in his tone made Tony prickle.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I bet he’s great to have around when you’re working. You’re a lucky son of a bitch, Stark. I’ll see you around, alright?” 

With that, Quentin strolled off towards his own house, finally letting Tony slam the door, but his uneasiness remained. 

*

Over the next two days, Tony and Peter’s hesitant camaraderie returned, but just like earlier, it was limited to the lab. At home, living with Peter was still like living with a ghost. A ghost that made kick-ass meals and smelled incredible, but still. A quiet, barely-there presence.

But Tony had learned to take what he could get. If he was limited to happy Peter in the lab, he would cherish every second of it. 

Speaking of Peter, the alpha really wished he had his husband with him this evening. Peter was safe at home with FRIDAY while Tony attended this god-awful benefit gala. Pepper had given him a _look_ when he informed her that he planned to attend alone, but she hadn’t said anything. 

He didn’t care that it was one of the most important social events of the season. He wasn’t going to drag Peter along to something that would make him uncomfortable - and being surrounded by a bunch of stuffed shirts and their egos would undoubtedly set his husband on edge. 

The other, less magnanimous reason Tony had chosen to go stag to his first big public gathering as a married man was because he knew everyone there would immediately latch on to the fact that Peter didn’t have his mating bite. What was he supposed to tell the parasitic journalists and general busybodies? That they were waiting for marriage? 

Tony tried to keep to himself during the event, just making the necessary rounds and shaking hands with the hosts. He was sorely tempted to just park himself at the open bar for the evening, but the thought of having to call a driver and stumble home to Peter drunk was so abhorrent that he limited himself to a finger of scotch before switching to some weird fruity punch that was proudly labeled as organic, free trade, and most importantly, non-alcoholic.

A few minutes later, Tony almost wished he’d drank himself into a stupor, because none other than Norman Osborn was coming over to exchange insincere pleasantries with his business rival. 

“Stark! Looks like they’re letting anyone in here these days,” Osborn said, clapping Tony on the shoulder before lowering himself in the empty seat nearest the alpha. 

Osborn was an alpha too; to Tony, he always smelled like lemon cleaner and cheap cigars, a rather unpleasant combination. 

“Norman,” Tony greeted, listening to the voice in his head that sounded eerily like Pepper reminding him not to roll his eyes. 

“I heard you got married recently, Stark. Where’s your better half?” Osborn asked, gesturing the bartender over and ordering a whiskey. 

“He’s at home. Not feeling well,” Tony lied, hoping to steer the conversation away from Peter.

“You got an omega from the registry, I heard. I’m surprised,” said Norman, taking a sip of his drink.

“Why’s that?” Tony asked before he could stop himself.

“Well, you might not have him very long. New York’s voting on whether or not to abolish arranged marriages next session,” said Osborn, leaning in conspiratorially. 

“Isn’t that just a rumor?” asked Tony, desperately wishing he had something stronger than this hippie fruit cocktail.

“Only to those not in the know,” said Norman with a wink. “I’m surprised you aren’t throwing more money at the lobbiers looking to keep the registry in place,” he added.

“What?” Tony asked, despite his desire to end this conversation.

“I’ve seen the sweet piece of ass you got yourself, Tony,” said Norman, leaning uncomfortably close. “I was on the lookout for someone for my son when I saw your boy on the registry. I would have married him myself.”

Tony was stunned.

“Little Peter Parker. You know, I was just about to snatch him up when I learned there was already a contract pending. Did a little digging and found it was you. Quick work, Stark, but I don’t blame you.” 

“What…?”

“I bet he’s even prettier than in his pictures, right? Is he tied up on your bed at home right now? If I had him, he wouldn’t know anything other than the inside of my bedroom. Don’t know how you pulled yourself away for the evening,” said Norman, finishing his drink with a smirk. 

“What the fuck are you trying to pull, Osborn?” Tony asked darkly, gripping his glass so hard he was surprised it didn’t shatter. 

“Nothing, nothing. Just hope you know how lucky you are. I wish I was the one breeding that ass every chance I got,” Norman finished, shit-eating grin on his face.

“Are you trying to provoke me, Osborn?” asked Tony, seething, barely restraining himself from strangling Norman with his own tie. If they weren’t surrounded by so many people, Tony was sure he would have punched Osborn in his smarmy face already. 

“Not at all. But, you know, if another opportunity to get that boy for myself comes up, you bet your ass I’m not gonna let him get away a second time.” 

With that remark, Norman drifted back off into the party crowd, leaving Tony alone at the bar with his fruit juice and barely-restrained fury. 

*

If Peter noticed that Tony was in a foul mood for the next few days, he didn’t do anything to acknowledge it. 

*

Luckily for Tony, he was used to dealing with his shit on his own, so things were back to normal in pretty short order. He’d just finished getting dressed for the day and headed downstairs towards the kitchen. 

Usually Peter would be quietly making fresh pancakes, bacon, or eggs, after finally getting sick of eating toaster waffles every morning. Tony had really come to look forward to eating his husband’s wonderful cooking in the morning - a good breakfast and seeing his beautiful omega was always the perfect start to his day.

Tony strolled into the kitchen expecting to be hit with Peter’s sweet scent mixed with that of his latest culinary masterpiece, but instead he was met with a kitchen devoid of light and nice smells. 

Despite the rational part of his brain telling him that Peter’s alarm probably hadn’t gone off or something, Tony immediately felt swept with panic. Had Peter tried to run away? Why hadn’t FRIDAY alerted him? Was his husband okay? 

Before he could stop to think, Tony was racing back upstairs, feeling warm and panicky as he tore down the hallway to Peter’s guest room. Without a second thought, he threw open the door, only for his heart to drop when he noticed that Peter’s bed was rumpled but empty. 

“Petey?!” he called, uncaring of how desperate he sounded. 

The alpha could feel his heart racing uncomfortably, and struggled to control his breathing. He heard a low sound come from the direction of the guest bathroom, and quickly darted over. 

Upon opening the bathroom door, he immediately noticed Peter slumped next to the sink, forehead pressed against the cool marble of the cabinet. His omega let out a pathetic moan in response to Tony’s presence. 

“Oh, Petey,” he breathed, dropping down to gently grasp the boy’s face, “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Don’t feel good,” the omega rasped, eyes drooping. 

“You feel feverish, sweetheart. How long have you been on the floor?” Tony asked, already contemplating how best to start caring for him. Tony could tell by the boy’s scent that this wasn’t an approaching heat; instead, the odor of illness clung to his normally flawless flowery scent. 

“Dunno. Was thirsty,” was the only response Tony received. 

“Let’s get you back in bed, honey,” Tony cooed, reaching to gently scoop up his husband. 

“...Please don’t...touch,” Peter whimpered, giving a half-hearted squirm.

“I just want you to be comfortable, alright?” said Tony, carefully maneuvering Peter out of the bathroom without bumping him against the door frame. 

The alpha carefully laid the boy down on the bed, causing the omega to give a little huff before curling up into a ball.

“Do you want me to call a doctor?” Tony asked, resisting the urge to run his hand through the boy’s sweaty, tangled curls. “Dr. Banner next door works at the ER, but he might be able to help if we really need someone…”

“No thanks,” Peter mumbled, shifting uncomfortably. 

“Alright. I’ll bring you some water and see about finding you some medicine,” said Tony. 

Peter didn’t respond, so the alpha headed down to the living room to retrieve a glass and the first aid kit stashed somewhere in the pantry. There was bound to be some aspirin or something to lower his omega’s fever in there. 

While he was rummaging around for the kit, Tony took a moment to make a quick call to Pepper. There was no way he would be leaving Peter alone to go to the lab today. 

A moment later, Tony found what he was looking for and quickly headed back upstairs to the guest room. Peter was still in bed where the alpha had left him. Slowly, Tony approached the huddled form on the bed.

“Here’s some water, honey,” Tony said, putting the first aid kit down on the nightstand and moving closer with the glass of water. 

“Jus’ leave it,” the lump on the bed mumbled. 

“You need to keep hydrated if you have a fever, baby,” said Tony.

“Don’t call me that,” the lump grumbled. 

“What, ‘baby?’ You don’t like that?” 

The lump gave a feeble growl. 

Tony sighed. 

“Look, Peter, you’ve established that you hate me. I get it. Can you just drink the water and maybe pop an Advil so you feel better? I don’t like to see you suffer.” 

“Okay,” Peter grumbled, tossing the covers aside to reveal his flushed face and adorable bedhead. 

To Tony’s relief, Peter took the glass of water and chugged down about half of it before handing it back. The alpha set the glass on the nightstand before reaching for the first aid kit. As he suspected, it was filled with an array of cold and flu medication. 

“What are your symptoms, baby - sorry - Peter?” 

“Tired. Achy. Throat hurts. Feel hot,” Peter answered, slumping back into the bed. 

“Sounds like a bad cold. We’ll try some of these,” said Tony, plucking out a blister pack of pills from a box that promised relief from all of Peter’s complaints. 

When he grabbed the medication, he noticed a thermometer under the box, and decided it would be a good idea to keep track of his omega’s temperature. 

“Let’s see how bad the fever is,” Tony suggested, reaching for the thermometer. “I could always have FRIDAY give me a reading, but let’s try the old-fashioned way, shall we?”

Peter must be feeling worse than Tony thought, because he could have sworn the boy gave him an amused grin.

Peter’s temperature turned out to be a worrisome 101.9, so Tony immediately administered the medication to the boy, along with some more water. Afterwards, Peter relaxed against his pillow and looked ready to nod off again.

“Do you need anything else, Petey?” Tony whispered.

“No,” murmured Peter, eyes drooping. “Thank you, alpha.”

“I called Pep and told her I’d be staying home with you today, alright? Just let FRIDAY know if you need me, and I’ll be right here,” said Tony, absently reaching out to stroke Peter’s blanket-covered leg. As soon as he realized what he was doing, he snatched his hand away.

“Sorry,” the alpha breathed, feeling stupid. Why couldn’t he get it into his head to stop touching the kid? “I’ll try not to make you uncomfortable, okay?” 

But Peter was already asleep. 

*

Peter woke up exactly one hour and fourteen minutes later. Tony knew because he couldn’t bring himself to leave his sick, sleeping husband. He was just so beautiful, so peaceful. Peter was everything good in the world; everything Tony wanted but couldn’t have. 

When Peter finally fluttered his eyes open again, Tony snapped out of his reverie. 

“How are you feeling?” Tony whispered.

Peter glanced over at the alpha perched on a chair he had dragged closer to the bed, looking at Tony with an indecipherable but thoughtful expression. 

“‘M hungry,” Peter finally whispered, “an’ my throat hurts.”

“How about some toast and tea? I think I can manage that,” Tony asked.

“Mkay,” Peter mumbled, “an’ a toaster waffle, please, alpha.” 

Tony was only too happy to oblige.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two steps forward, one step back. That's still progress.
> 
> Don't be a stranger, dear reader.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a few warnings for this chapter at the bottom, but beware! They do include minor spoilers.

Tony tried very hard not to enjoy Peter being sick. His poor boy was feeling ill; but the alpha couldn’t help be gleeful over the fact that he now had an excuse to get close to his husband. 

Peter needed someone to bring him food and water, to gently carry him to the bathroom and downstairs when he got tired and bored from looking at the same four walls in the guest bedroom. 

Every evening, Tony carried Peter to the bath and waited outside for the boy to be done. He didn’t offer his assistance during Peter’s baths and showers, figuring that the mere suggestion would probably earn him a knee to the babymakers, even if Peter was much more agreeable than he’d ever been. 

So, yeah, as much as Tony felt bad for Peter being sick, he was going to enjoy every opportunity it provided him to hold his husband. The way Peter stuck out his little hands in a ‘pick me up’ gesture whenever he needed to go somewhere and the way he rested his head against the alpha’s chest made Tony’s heart feel like it would burst.

“You can go back to the lab without me, you know, if you want,” Peter told him, toward the end of the second week of his illness. Peter had contracted some type of nasty flu virus that had hung on with a vengeance, but he was finally starting to show signs of improvement. 

“Nah, it’s fine. Not like I need the money or anything,” Tony replied, bringing Peter his morning glass of water and medicine with a smile. 

Peter gifted him with a sunny grin in return. 

“How are you feeling today?” Tony had asked him the same question each morning.

“Much better,” Peter replied, putting down the empty glass. Indeed, his face was less flushed and his voice sounded less throaty. 

“That’s great, Petey. Need anything else?” 

“No thank you.”

“Well, let me know if you do, okay?”

“Alright.”

Tony watched as Peter pulled his StarkPad off the nightstand and began to read something on it eagerly; Peter had told Tony there was a new science article he couldn’t wait to finish, and the alpha couldn’t wait to hear the boy chatter about what he’d learned. Tony took that as his cue to leave. 

The alpha headed downstairs, drifting towards the kitchen. He’d just got some breakfast in his husband, but he was feeling particularly mother-hennish this morning, and decided to look for some soup recipes to make something for the boy’s lunch. 

Peter had really enjoyed the tomato basil soup Tony had miraculously put together the other day, and the alpha was still preening from the praise that action had earned him. He was eager to provide for Peter again. 

Just as he settled down on the couch with his own StarkPad open to a recipe page - and had scrolled through all the usual bullshit about how this soup recipe was passed down from my granny who worked in the coal mines, blah, blah, blah - the doorbell rang.

“This better not be you, Beck,” Tony grumbled, tossing the tablet aside and shuffling over to the door. His neighbor had stopped by the day before to check on Peter again, seeing as how he hadn’t seen any sign of either him or Tony the past few days. Upon hearing that Peter was sick, he offered to bring over some soup, but Tony quickly told him that he was more than capable of taking care of his own husband. 

Through the frosted glass of the front door, Tony noticed a familiar tall figure.

“Stane,” he greeted, opening the door, “What are you doing...at my house?”

“Just stopping by. Pepper told me your omega was sick,” said Stane, walking past Tony into the house. 

“He’s getting better,” Tony said, shutting the door. 

_Seriously, what the fuck does he want?_

“Good, good,” Stane said absently, glancing around Tony’s living room, “Are you going to be getting back to the lab soon?”

“Yeah. Peter’s doing much better,” Tony said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Excellent. SI really needs you to keep working on those ideas of yours,” said Obadiah, arms mirroring Tony’s on his chest.

“I’ll be back when I get back,” said Tony, trying not to sound too defensive.

“I understand, Tony.”

“Alright.” Despite feeling as though he’d taken care of Obie’s strange curiosity, the man made no motion to leave. Tony had nothing against the other alpha, not really, but the man’s harsh ammonia-like scent made it hard to spend too much time around him.

A few beats of silence passed.

“You want some coffee or something?” Tony asked, hoping to dispel the awkward silence.

“Sure, sure,” said Stane, making his way into the kitchen.

Tony followed behind, making his way over to the fancy coffee machine and plugging it in.

“So how goes married life?” Stane asked, leaning against the counter near Tony.

“Fine,” Tony replied, willing the coffee to perk quicker. 

“You don’t sound too thrilled, Tony,” said Stane, smirking a bit.

“Look, I don’t see why you feel the need to know so much about my personal life. My marriage doesn’t concern you,” replied Tony stiffly.

“Actually, Tony, it does. The company needs you to be productive. There are a lot of shareholders that need you to keep the inventions coming, so that bitch of yours better be putting out,” Obadiah stated firmly. 

“Watch it, Obie,” Tony muttered, not liking where this conversation was headed.

“Calm down, Tony. You know I just have your best interests at heart-”

“Yeah, I’m sure you do,” Tony snapped, hoping his scent wasn’t giving away how annoyed he was becoming. 

“So where is the little thing?” Stane asked, “You keep him in your bedroom?”

“No, what? Seriously, what the hell are you -”

Tony’s reply was cut off by the sudden influx of the sweet honeysuckle and lilac scent that drew his eyes to the stairway. Sure enough, there was Peter, looking rumpled and adorable and smelling like a walking wet dream. 

“Ah, there’s your omega,” said Stane, eyes raking up and down Peter unabashedly. “Damn, you did well, Tony. I’m surprised you let him wear clothes.”

“Peter, get back upstairs,” ordered Tony, eyes darting between his husband and the other alpha. 

Stane’s gaze alighted on Peter’s neck. “Still no bite? What the hell is the problem, Tony? Would you just bend this bitch over and sink your teeth in him already?”

Tony noticed that Peter’s eyes went wide at that, and the omega quickly darted back upstairs. 

“I swear to fucking God, Stane -”

“He can’t be much use to you being sick, but maybe he whines less when you fuck him like this,” Obadiah mentioned offhandedly, “Guess I can’t blame you for taking so much time off when he’s like this, then.”

“You know what? Shut the fuck up, Obie. I’m fucking sick and tired of people talking about Peter like he’s just some fucktoy -”

“But that’s what you got the boy for, isn’t it, Tony? You saw his picture and your first thought was that you were going to knot him until he screamed. You wanted an easy target to fuck every night without having to go through the trouble of wining and dining, right? Just bend him over whenever it suited you -”

_“Fuck. You.”_ Tony spat. “I love him.”

“You love fucking him, you mean.”

“Get the fuck out of my house,” Tony ordered. 

“You’re mad because I’m right. The only thing I can’t understand is why that omega doesn’t have your bite. You know, your father would be very disappointed that you -”

Tony’s fist made contact with Obadiah’s face before he could finish his sentence. 

Stane recovered quickly and immediately lunged back at the other alpha, landing a nasty blow to Tony’s cheek; Tony was quick to fight back, landing another hit to Stane’s face -

\- but was stopped in his assault by a sudden, sharp pain in his chest.

Looking down, Tony noticed a small kitchen knife Stane had pulled from the butcher block on the counter sticking out from his chest. 

He watched in stunned horror as Obadiah almost casually plucked the knife from his chest, causing a burst of agony to shoot through his body. 

“You know, I hate to do this to you, Tony,” Stane said, tossing the knife on the ground. “But anyone would believe I was just defending myself. You did hit me first.” 

Tony shakily put a hand to his chest, only to feel warm liquid gush out past his fingers. Glancing down, he could see red pulsing out of the stab wound, the blood turning his white tank top a dark crimson.

Despite how quickly the attack happened, everything seemed to slow down. 

“Obie...the fuck?” Tony gasped, feeling lightheaded and falling to his knees with a cough. 

_Oh, God, the pain was absolutely excruciating._

“I didn’t plan it this way, but a smart businessman knows to take any opportunity when it presents itself; Stark Industries did much better manufacturing weapons. Perhaps the company will be going back to that with you out of the way,” Obadiah mused, easily stepping aside when Tony weakly lunged at him from the floor, gasping painfully. “Erasing the past few minutes from your AI shouldn’t be an issue due to my level of access,” he added, casually wandering over to the staircase.

“And the further unexpected pleasure of your unmated omega upstairs? I think I’ll remedy that right now.” 

Pain that had nothing to do with his bleeding wound exploded in Tony’s chest.

“N-no!” he choked, feeling his vision growing fuzzy, “D-don’t…”

Stane gave a small chuckle as Tony collapsed completely, face falling into the rapidly growing pool of blood underneath him with a choking gasp. Everything felt blurred, out of focus, cold…

Tony tried frantically to get enough air in his lungs to scream for Peter to _run_, to ask FRIDAY to do…_something_...but the only thing that came out was a strangled wheeze. 

“I hope you live long enough to hear the sounds he’ll make when I get my teeth in his neck,” Stane said from the bottom stair, his smile wide and terrible.

_No, please...no…_

Each slow, deliberate footstep ascending the stairs seemed to happen in time with another painful pulse in Tony’s chest. Is this how it ended? Killed by someone he trusted? Knowing Peter would suffer? 

The thought of _anything_ happening to Peter breathed a bit of strength into Tony. He wasn’t going to die knowing he hadn’t done everything he could to save his omega. 

Tony managed to shakily raise himself up a bit, doing his best to ignore the searing pain lacing through his torso. He clumsily wobbled forward on all fours, making considerable progress towards the staircase. 

He felt weaker with each inch he crawled forward; the alpha could feel the blood pouring from his wound, could feel it pooling underneath him as he struggled forward. Miraculously, he made it to where the kitchen met the stairs, only to feel his brief burst of strength wane.

He collapsed. 

The last thing Tony saw before blacking out was Obadiah’s form disappearing onto the second floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Violence, blood, and derogatory language about Peter. 
> 
> ...I'm sorry for this.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is to make up for the cliffhanger. Next update will be on Monday, as usual.

Tony felt warm.

Warm and safe. 

He was floating on a cloud that smelled like honeysuckle and lilac...the sweet, heavenly scent soothing an ache deep inside him.

Tony felt that he could exist in this wonderful haze for the rest of eternity and be perfectly happy. 

Of course, the nice feelings couldn’t last. Slowly, Tony became more aware of a throbbing pain that seemed to be centered in his chest. The scent of honeysuckle and lilac ebbed and flowed, but remained a constant presence. 

A low, persistent beeping grew louder in his ears, but he couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. The alpha slowly felt the haze he was under begin to lift, and he took a quick mental account of what he could.

His chest hurt. He was laying on a moderately comfortable mattress under a scratchy blanket. His throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper.

_And there was that damn beeping…_

“Ungh…” Tony croaked. _Jesus, what happened to him?_

He suddenly felt something cold and wet against his parched lips. The alpha opened his mouth a tiny bit and felt cool, fresh water being gently tipped in. 

Tony gulped down what he was offered, the refreshing liquid giving him the strength to carefully open his eyes.

Before him was a vision.

Peter, smelling like home and safety, was perched on the edge of the cot Tony was in. 

Upon taking in his surroundings, Tony deduced that he was in a private room at a hospital. But what kept his attention was Peter, his husband, sitting near him.

“Pete…” he whispered, wishing he could express how much he loved the sight of him.

“How do you feel, alpha?” the boy asked, putting down the empty plastic cup he’d been holding. 

“Been better,” Tony murmured, eyes feeling heavy, but unable to tear his gaze away from Peter.

Sweet, amazing Peter. 

_Peter._

The events that led to Tony being in a hospital bed in the first place came rushing back.

“Petey, are you okay? What happened?” Tony rasped, attempting to sit up so he could check Peter over for injuries.

“I’m fine, alpha. I’ll tell you everything once you’ve rested up,” said Peter gently, carefully encouraging Tony to lay back down on the bed. 

“No, Pete, I gotta...you gotta tell me…”

“Are you sure…?” 

“Yes, baby - sorry, sorry - Pete. Please,” whispered Tony. There was no way he could get any rest wondering what had happened after Obie stuck a fucking knife in his chest.

“Well, to answer the most immediate question, the doctor said you lost a lot of blood, but the knife didn’t hit anything vital. You were very lucky,” Peter began.

“Yeah, okay,” Tony mumbled. 

“Mr. Stane is being held by the authorities. They said...uh, something about embezzlement and fraud at the company, I think, too.”

“Shit.” 

Embezzlement? Fraud? The hell? How long had that been going on? Was that what Obie had been up to while Tony worked his ass off in the lab? Plotting to kill him off? Jesus, he knew Stane wanted SI to get back into weapons, but he didn’t realize how far the man was willing to go to accomplish his goal...

“But Pepper said everything’s being taken care of,” Peter assured him. 

“Okay...okay,” Tony breathed. “Now...what...what happened, y’know…after? And...you’re still sick, Peter.” 

“I’m feeling much better,” Peter soothed, “You took very good care of me.”

Tony couldn’t help give a small smile at that, but the mood changed when Peter took a deep breath and reached his hand out to gently grasp Tony’s where it rested on top of the hospital blanket. The omega gave it a tentative squeeze, and at that moment Tony could have sworn that he must have died from that stab wound and gone to heaven. 

But he tried to pay attention as Peter began to fill him in on what transpired.

“I was, um, in my room when I heard you talking to someone down stairs. I guess I thought it might have been one of the neighbors, so I came down and...well, it wasn’t. I, uh, went back to my room, but I could hear you two fighting, so I asked FRIDAY to call the police…”

“Smart…” Tony interjected. Peter gave a tiny grin.

“I was still pretty scared, and then I smelled...the blood...so I snuck out the back door and ran over to the Banner’s house,” stated Peter.

Tony was never more grateful for the fact that he lived next to an ER doctor in his life, and exceedingly grateful for the fact that Peter insisted on being so friendly with the neighbors. He knew Bruce Banner in passing, and saw his beta neighbor from time to time, but they never really interacted. 

The only thing he really knew about Banner was that he lived on the other side of Tony, was a doctor, and, despite his beta status, was married to a stunning omega who was known to be fiercely protective of the pair’s infant twins. 

“Dr. Banner was home, and I told him you needed help. He came over with me, and we found you...near the stairs...and you were passed out,” Peter said, sounding upset. Tony couldn’t blame him; who wouldn’t be upset seeing someone passed out in your kitchen in a pool of blood?

“Dr. Banner was able to slow the bleeding down, and the police and ambulance arrived not long after that. Mr. Stane was gone, but they found him in his car a few miles away,” Peter finished, still holding Tony’s hand.

“...Wow,” said Tony, wishing he had a more profound response. 

“The doctor kept you unconscious for about 24 hours, so you could heal,” Peter added, reaching forward with the hand not currently holding Tony’s to gently brush a lock of hair back from the alpha’s forehead, almost as though he couldn’t help himself. 

“And you’re doing very well, Mr. Stark,” a new voice chimed in.

A tall alpha with well-groomed facial hair, adorned in a doctor’s coat, appeared at the door. 

“Dr. Strange,” the man said by way of introduction, coming closer to check Tony’s vitals on the machines arranged around the bed. “You’re a very lucky man,” he added.

“So I’ve been told,” Tony rasped, pleased to see Peter give a small smile. 

“Depending on how you do through the night, we might be able to release you sometime tomorrow,” mentioned Dr. Strange, making some notes on his clipboard. 

“Really?” asked Tony, pleasantly surprised. 

“Really,” the doctor confirmed. “Your omega will have to take care of you, but you should be alright doing most of your recovery at home.”

Peter’s hand gave his a gentle squeeze, and if Tony didn’t currently have proof of his steadily beating heart, he would have sworn it did an elated swoop.

*

The next day, Dr. Strange allowed Tony to be discharged after going over the necessary follow-up care for the injury with Peter. 

The omega carefully observed how to clean and change Tony’s bandages, and listened intently as the alpha doctor went over a list of symptoms to keep an eye on that might mean Tony was developing an infection. 

It was normal, Dr. Strange assured him when Peter left for a moment so Tony could change into regular clothing, to feel so weak and tired. 

“You lost quite a bit of blood, Mr. Stark. Your body needs time to recover from that as well as the wound,” Dr. Strange informed him, glancing up from his clipboard. “You’re not a young man anymore, either.”

“You just had to throw that in there,” Tony grumbled, letting his eyes fall shut. He really was tired. 

“I’m simply telling you the truth, Mr. Stark,” Strange muttered, finishing his scribbling. “Well, now that you’re ready to leave, shall I call your omega back in?”

“Yeah, please,” murmured Tony. He heard rather than saw Strange exit the room, but perked up when he smelled the heavenly scent of honeysuckle and lilac filter into the room.

“Petey,” he whispered, “Are you ready?”

“Yes. Dr. Banner offered to drive us home. He’ll be here in a few minutes,” Peter informed him, coming over to his bedside. Tony hesitantly reached a hand out to his husband, pleased when the omega took it and gave it a gentle squeeze. 

“Hmm. Nice of him.”

“He said it was no big deal, cause he was going home anyway, and he’s right next door.”

“Still nice. Remind me to thank him for saving my life,” said Tony, willing himself to stay awake.

“You’re very welcome, Tony,” a new voice added.

Tony tore his gaze away from his husband to see his neighbor, dressed in green scrubs and a white coat, stroll in with a wheelchair. “I usually tell people I was just doing my job.”

“Well, thank you for being good at your job, then,” Tony offered with a smile. Dr. Banner’s eyes crinkled behind his glasses as he smiled back at his neighbor. “Do I really need the wheels?” Tony added. 

“Hospital policy for surgery patient discharge, Tony,” Dr. Banner informed him before turning to Peter. “Can you help me get him in the wheelchair, Pete?”

Peter nodded, carefully following Dr. Banner’s instructions to hold his alpha’s arm as he unsteadily hobbled the half step from his bed to the chair. 

“Lordy, I feel like an old man, Doc,” Tony griped once he was seated. 

“After all I’ve been through keeping you alive, you can call me Bruce,” the doctor said as he proceeded to wheel his neighbor out of the hospital, Peter in tow. 

“Will do, Brucie.” 

Tony watched as Peter waved to some of the doctors and nurses as they made their way out of the building. It didn’t surprise him that his omega had managed to make friends with most of the staff during the few days he’d been waiting for Tony to recover enough to come home. Peter seemed to charm everyone he came in contact with; even Dr. Strange seemed less aloof around the boy. 

Just as Tony was starting to feel himself doze off, the trio reached Bruce’s SUV. Peter scurried forward to open one of the side doors, and helped steady his husband once again as the older man slowly slid into the back seat. 

“You need any help buckling up, Tony?” Bruce asked, folding up the wheelchair and stashing it in the back.

“I’m good,” Tony huffed, scrambling to buckle himself in, not wanting to seem even more helpless in front of Peter. He watched as his husband pulled himself into the passenger’s side while Bruce started the car up from his spot in the driver’s seat. 

Tony felt like a weak old man with how worn out he was from the simple act of leaving the hospital bed and getting into a car, but allowed himself to drift peacefully as he listened to Bruce quietly make conversation with Peter, a story about something funny his babies had done the other day. 

Tony fell asleep in the car to the gentle hum of the motor and Peter’s soft laughter.

*

Peter was an excellent nurse. 

He was his usual quiet self, but he dutifully changed the bandages on Tony’s chest twice a day, and made sure the alpha ate the delicious meals the boy prepared.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Tony murmured, quietly accepting a bowl of mouth-watering beef stew from his husband. 

It was currently day three of Tony’s recovery, and he was feeling much better. The wound on his chest was healing nicely under Peter’s care.

“Anything else, alpha?” Peter asked softly, putting a spoon down on Tony’s tray. 

“No, thank you. You’ve done so much already,” Tony replied. 

“Well, you took good care of me when I was sick,” said Peter, slowly turning to leave.

“Wait...you could...stay with me, just while I eat? If you want,” Tony added quickly. 

Peter obediently plopped down in the large plush chair next to Tony’s bed. 

Tony smiled, and took a generous spoonful of stew. “Tell me what you did today besides cook, Petey,” he asked, blowing on the spoonful to cool it off.

“Well, I talked to Aunt May and Uncle Ben on the phone again. They’d like to come by sometime to see more of the house. I’d like to show them my garden,” said Peter. 

“Anytime you want, baby - sorry, Peter. Tell them they’re always welcome,” interrupted Tony, chewing a mouthful of savory beef. 

“And I practiced some more on the piano. I can play ‘Daisy Bell’ without looking at the sheet music anymore,” continued Peter.

“Is that the song I always hear you play?” asked Tony, taking a sip of the juice Peter provided. 

“Yes. I can play a few others if I look at the sheet music,” Peter added. 

“That’s great. I’m sorry you haven’t been able to get to the lab, with you being sick and now with me out of commission,” said Tony. “I know how excited you were to start working on those special wall-scaling gloves you were developing.”

“It’s alright, alpha.”

“Peter...you know...you can, uh, call me ‘Tony’ if you, well - if you want,” the alpha hedged. 

“Oh… it’s...it’s alright, alpha,” the boy replied, gaze dropping to the carpet. 

“Oh. No, it’s fine, okay? I don’t...mind, but you don’t _have_ to call me that,” Tony emphasized. 

Tony’s statement hung in the air for a few moments. 

“May I leave now?” asked Peter softly. 

“Of course. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” assured Tony. Okay, so that was pretty disheartening, but he didn’t want to do anything to make the omega uncomfortable. Peter seemed...well, not surprised, but...Tony couldn’t decipher the array of emotions that flickered across the boy’s face. 

Either way, the alpha was pretty thrilled with the interaction they’d had so far; Tony would take whatever he could get. 

Peter softly padded out of the room without another word.

Tony sighed, but turned back to his dinner. 

He’d invite May and Ben Parker over first thing tomorrow, he thought as he ate. It was the tail end of summer, the days still long and humid, perfect for splashing in Tony’s huge pool. His husband would love having his family over for something like that. 

And of course, Peter would show off the lovely little flower garden he’d planted, full of marigolds and a ton of other blooms Tony couldn’t identify, but could appreciate their loveliness nonetheless. Peter would probably also play the piano a bit for his aunt and uncle, most likely bashful but still proud of his new skill. 

Tony told Peter about his plan to have Ben and May over for the day when his omega returned a half hour later to collect the dinner dishes and change his bandage for the evening. 

The huge smile Peter gave him made him giddy for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Do you forgive me?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy reading, dear readers.

As Dr. Strange predicted, Tony indeed healed quite quickly. The alpha liked to think it was all due to Peter’s excellent care and wonderful meals.

Tony had felt guilty being such a burden, since he wasn’t allowed to do too much physical labor while he recovered. He’d encouraged his omega to invite his aunt and uncle over as much as he wanted, and it had been an absolute pleasure to watch his omega smile and laugh with his family in the pool. 

May and Ben seemed thrilled at how much Peter’s outlook had improved, but Tony didn’t delude himself into believing it had anything to do with him. If anything, he’d managed to make Peter happy by giving the boy his space. 

Speaking of space, he was currently further away from Peter then he’d ever been, even though it really wasn’t by choice. 

Tony had been declared fully healed by Dr. Strange two weeks ago, which was great, because he was eager to bring Peter back to the lab, and was looking forward to doing some tinkering again, himself. 

Getting back to the lab with Peter had been amazing. Seeing the omega get right back to work was an absolute gift, and his enthusiasm made Tony feel more renewed and productive than ever. It was probably his wishful imagination, but it seemed like the Peter that Tony knew from the lab was starting to appear more often at home. 

Pepper had handled the situation with Obadiah wonderfully - not that he ever doubted her ability - but it was a relief to know that his friend was able to take care of everything so he could focus on getting better and spending time with Peter. 

She’d only asked one favor of him - that he attend a very important shareholders meeting in Chicago. She so rarely asked him to do anything other than not blow up the SI building, so he’d felt obliged to grant her request.

The meeting was as dull and pointless as he imagined. He spent most of the time wondering how Peter was doing back in New York. He’d left the omega in their home assured by his husband that he would call Dr. Banner - or even Steve - if he needed anything, and would invite his aunt and uncle over as much as he wanted, and would be careful, and not open the door for anyone he didn’t know, and that _he’d be fine, alpha._

Still, Tony found himself counting the moments until he could get back to Peter, even if his husband was probably enjoying the opportunity to be free of Tony for a bit. 

The meeting seemed to drag on forever, but it was nothing too demanding or stressful, and for that Tony was thankful. 

As soon as he boarded his private plane, he settled into one of the soft leather seats with a sigh. Damn, it was good to be away from those stuffy shareholders. He could see why Pepper didn’t want to go to this meeting. 

But it was over; time to loosen his tie, find something to snack on, and check for the millionth time to see if maybe Peter called or texted him. Pulling out his StarkPhone, he noticed he had a ton of notifications. Typical. 

He quickly scanned to see if there was anything new from Peter, and not seeing any, he tossed the phone aside with a sigh. The alpha was sorely tempted to just leave his phone on the table and ignore it for the rest of the flight - it was so rare he ever got the opportunity to just zone out - but he remembered how much it annoyed Pepper when he didn’t answer her work messages, so he picked the phone back up. 

He could at least let her know the meeting was over, and went without a hitch. Maybe see if she’d heard anything from Peter or - 

Cold dread welled up in his stomach. He could feel his heart race in his chest as he took in the news splashed across his screen.

_NEW YORK VOTES TO ABOLISH ARRANGED MARRIAGES!_

_BREAKING: OMEGA REGISTRY TO BE DISSOLVED IN NEW YORK_

_NYS OMEGAS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW - IS YOUR MARRIAGE VOID?_

_END OF AN ERA: THOUSANDS OF OMEGAS CELEBRATE LIBERATION IN NY_

Tony couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. 

He could only stare at his phone in disbelief. 

Jesus, fuck, Steve was right, he thought frantically, he really did need to get his head out of the sand, how the _fuck_ had he not known this was coming up? 

He couldn’t help himself - he had to know more. 

With shaking hands, he opened the news app and read.

Each sentence he read seemed to be another blow.

Tony could feel a cold, unpleasant sweat form at his brow as he read that _omegas currently in relationships born from a registry marriage are advised that returning to their families or otherwise leaving their current alpha will not be met with any reprisal…_

He felt numb and dizzy.

_ “Pictured above are a group of happy omegas celebrating their recent emancipation after the recent ruling by New York State courts…”_

He felt cold. 

And he felt like an asshole.

There were so many omegas in New York that were thrilled by this, ecstatic to finally get a taste of freedom, to make their own decisions, to possibly escape a harmful relationship - 

And yet all he could think about was how Peter was doubtlessly gone from his house without a trace.

When he got home, the house would be empty, too big and empty, no sweet honeysuckle and lilac smell, no soft lilting piano notes..._no Peter._

Fuck it, Tony didn’t care how fucking selfish it made him sound. He didn’t care how fucking pathetic it was, that the only thing that had kept his own goddamn husband with him was a legal necessity, and he’d started to fool himself into thinking maybe Peter wouldn’t be so unhappy with him after a while -

Tony tried to catch his breath, finding himself choking on a small sob when he did. 

The alpha tossed the StarkPhone aside; he’d read enough. 

He tried to focus on evening out his breathing, his hands steepled in front of his closed eyes as if in prayer. 

Peter would be so happy about this.

Peter was going to be happy.

Peter would be happy.

Peter. 

If Tony was honest with himself, he could admit that Peter being happy was really the only thing he’d ever truly wanted. And he’d never forgive himself for not showing Peter that by letting him have his freedom long before the choice was taken away. 

*

Tony couldn’t bring himself to try calling Peter the rest of the flight home. He knew he wouldn’t get an answer. He’d only be bothering Peter, who would be out, probably with his aunt and uncle, celebrating his freedom. 

All too soon, the jet landed, and Tony disembarked in a haze. 

His Audi was right where he’d left it. 

Where he’d left it before everything had come crashing down. 

Tony sat in the driver’s seat, willing himself to go back to his empty house. 

Part of the alpha wanted to race home, to finally confirm Peter’s whereabouts; anything was better than not knowing once and for all. The other part of Tony wanted to stay in the car forever, to remain in limbo, where the faint hope existed that maybe Peter would at least stay in touch…

...Where he could pretend that nothing had changed and he was heading home to a wonderful meal with his favorite person in the universe. 

Reluctantly, Tony began the drive home. 

All too soon - not soon enough - _fuckfuckfuck_ -

\- he was pulling into his garage. 

Mechanically, Tony exited his car, and made his way into the house, barely aware of FRIDAY greeting him and locking up. 

Upon arriving in his living room, Tony was hit with the scent of honeysuckle and lilac. 

God, how long would that sweet scent linger in his house, haunting him? 

It was agonizing, the thought that he would smell it as it slowly faded out of existence, leaving him wondering if he’d ever scent something quite as wonderful again. He knew he wouldn’t. 

Shit, he needed a drink. He’d been good about his drinking with Peter around, but now…

He headed towards the kitchen to find some alcohol - he needed something strong in him before heading upstairs to confirm Peter’s empty guest room, the room he never decorated, never unpacked in, Christ, never wanted to _be in..._

In the kitchen, pulling what smelled like a cherry pie carefully out of the oven, was Peter. 

“_Peter…_” Tony breathed, not trusting his own eyes. 

Peter carefully placed the pie on a cooling rack and turned to the alpha.

“Hello, Tony,” he whispered shyly. 

Tony stumbled over to his gently smiling husband in a daze, as if pulled by an invisible tether. 

Reaching the omega, he collapsed onto his knees, unable to stop himself from wrapping his arms around the boy’s waist and burying his face into the material covering his soft, warm stomach.

“_Peter…_” he sobbed, feeling tears begin to stream down his face.

He registered Peter’s little hands winding their way into his hair, gently carding through the greying locks. “It’s okay, Tony,” he soothed. 

Tony took a heaving breath, holding Peter impossibly tighter. 

After a few moments to process his awe and disbelief, the alpha looked up, knowing his eyes would give away how relieved and reverent he felt. 

Peter silently cupped the side of Tony’s tear-streaked face with one of his soft hands, using his thumb to gently brush away some of the alpha’s tears. 

“Oh, Tony,” he sighed, looking enviably calm and content. 

“God, Pete, why...I mean...you’re still here?” asked Tony, “I thought...but you’re here…”

“I am,” said Peter simply, lips quirking into a smile. 

“Thank God,” Tony murmured, burying his face in Peter’s stomach again. 

The pair stayed like that for what felt like hours, but in reality was only about fifteen minutes. Tony’s knees started to bother him on the floor, breaking through the pleasant haze of sheer joy and Peter’s soothing scent. 

Peter seemed to sense this, and gently coaxed the alpha up off the floor. Tony let himself be led from the kitchen to the living room, following the omega’s lead and plopping down on the couch. 

Unable to bear the thought of not having Peter close - needing to be able to feel him, to reassure himself that the boy wouldn’t disappear - he extended his arm in the hope his husband would allow him to hold his hand for a bit. 

To his continued surprise, Peter shyly climbed onto the alpha’s lap and rested his chin on the man’s shoulder. As soon as Tony overcame his shock, he wrapped his arms around the boy in his lap, still not entirely convinced he hadn’t died in a plane crash on the flight home and this was heaven or the afterlife.

“I know you’re surprised,” Peter stated, settling in. 

“I am...but, God...thrilled, Petey, I just…,” Tony trailed off. 

“You’ve been so good to me these past few months,” Peter continued, seeming braver without having eye contact. “Taking me to the lab, letting me work on inventions. When I mentioned it to Quentin one day, he thought I was kidding. Didn’t think an omega would be smart enough. But you never did. Never assumed I was stupid.”

Tony hugged Peter tighter. 

“You never made me go anywhere I didn’t want. Didn’t ask anything from me after that first night. Didn’t keep me from Aunt May and Uncle Ben.”

A few moments passed in silence, Tony gently rubbing his husband’s back. 

“And then you were so careful with me when I was sick,” Peter added softly. “I could tell you loved me. You said it in everything you did...and...I never really minded you calling me ‘baby.’ You can...start doing it again, if you want…”

Tony felt himself start to tear up again. 

“And… I heard everything Obadiah said about me when he was here. And how you defended me. But I realized he was right...you could have bitten me whenever you wanted, and you didn’t.” 

“Stane’s an asshole, baby,” Tony mentioned, pressing a soft kiss in Peter’s curls.

Peter gave a small chuckle, and pulled himself forward so he could look into Tony’s eyes.

“My point is that you’ve always treated me like a person, even when you didn’t have to. I’m so glad that omegas finally get the freedom to choose, but I know that in any other circumstance I would be in love with you too by now.” 

“And in this circumstance?” Tony asked carefully.

“I’m close,” Peter whispered, leaning forward to rest his head against Tony’s chest. 

If something better than having a content Peter curled up to him existed, Tony couldn’t imagine what that might be. 

*

They spent the rest of the evening talking softly on the couch. Peter insisted he make the alpha some dinner - _I know you weren’t eating properly on your trip, Tony. I want you to get all your nutrients_ \- so the pair enjoyed a quiet meal of pasta while their conversation topics veered towards lighter subjects for a bit.

Tony playfully griped about the meeting he’d endured, delighting in Peter’s giggles as he exaggerated the annoying habits and mannerisms of the shareholders. 

Peter told Tony what he’d been up to in the alpha’s absence. He’d texted Tony a few times to let him know he was doing alright, but hadn’t really elaborated. The omega had started a book of ideas he wanted to pursue in the lab, played the piano, readied the garden for the fall, talked to May and Ben, and thought in depth about why he hadn’t felt the urge to run when the news broke about the abolishment.

As the pair finished off their slices of the frankly orgasmic pie Peter had made for dessert, the conversation returned to more serious topics. 

Nestled in the alpha’s lap on the couch once again, Peter related to Tony some of his thoughts, ones he’d had since the beginning of their relationship.

“I just...I promised myself I wouldn’t lo- care for the alpha that wanted to marry me, you know? Like, just the principle of it. No matter what you did, I still felt like I didn’t have a choice. But you’re such a good alpha,” the boy murmured, nuzzling into the older man’s chest. 

Tony felt what could only be described as a purr well up in him in response to the boy’s affection. He let himself bask in the moment before speaking.

“Baby, I’m so sorry I didn’t offer to let you go before this. I love you so much, and I thought...I thought you’d never come back. I was greedy. And really insecure. I’m so sorry,” the alpha whispered softly.

“And _I’m_ sorry I didn’t show you how wonderful you are sooner,” Peter responded. “All I ever wanted was to be able to make my own choices and have an opportunity to work in a lab like yours. You gave me all of that. It just took me a while to realize I got what I wanted through something I was afraid of my whole life.” 

Tony hugged the little omega tighter, feeling himself unable to articulate the emotions running through him. 

“And I guess hearing Obadiah talk about you, uh, m-mating me...y’know...forcefully...I guess I realized that I could have ended up with someone like that,” Peter whispered. “Something like that might have even happened if you’d let me go, since I wasn’t mated, I guess…”

Tony was struck with the sudden memory of his conversation a month or so ago with Norman Osborn; someone like that wouldn’t have cared that Peter didn’t want to mate, wouldn’t care that Peter wanted to keep learning. It made Tony feel a little bit better about himself and his unshakeable desire to keep Peter safe and by his side. He decided not to mention it to the omega, though, since he already seemed upset just recalling what Obadiah had said about him. 

“I’ll always keep you safe, sweetheart,” Tony promised, planting a kiss in the boy’s hair. 

“Mmm. I know,” Peter murmured, sounding sleepy. “Y’know...when I first met Mr. Beck, he thought maybe you were, like, mistreating me or something. ‘Cause I didn’t have a mate mark. Didn’t understand why I was unhappy. And, well, he told me ‘cause I was an omega I’d only be happy once I had a mate and pups. He didn’t think I could even do science or anything.”

“...Did he ever make you uncomfortable, baby?” Tony asked softly.

“No. I could tell he, um, liked me, you know? And his heart is in the right place. He just wanted to make sure I was okay. But he didn’t understand me,” Peter answered honestly. 

“I’m glad you had someone to talk to, at least,” Tony offered, feeling himself starting to grow sleepy. It seemed he really had misjudged Quentin; all the times he’d found excuses to come over had always been when he thought something bad might have happened to Peter. He couldn’t blame the other alpha for finding Petey appealing - as long as he kept to his side of the fence. 

“I told Quentin he shouldn’t think all omegas were dumb, so maybe he’ll find someone one day, right? He comes off pretty arrogant, but I think he’s just insecure,” Peter mused. “I like talking to Natasha Banner much better, though. Her pups are so cute. She let me hold them once. She told me she never thought she could have pups, and now she doesn’t like to let them out of her sight.”

“I know more about my own neighbors from you than I’ve learned living here for the past five years,” Tony chuckled. 

“They’re good people,” Peter stated. “Some are rough around the edges, maybe, but worth getting to know.”

“Mmm. Getting to know you was the best thing to ever happen to me,” Tony admitted, feeling completely at peace. 

Peter slowly raised his head from where it was cuddled on Tony’s chest, eyes coming up to gaze fondly into the alpha’s eyes.

“You know...I think I can say the same thing about you, Tony,” the omega replied with a gentle smile, returning his head to its former place on the older man’s chest, listening to his heart beat steadily. 

Tony closed his eyes blissfully and held Peter tightly. 

They woke up still snuggled together on the couch the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the epilogue left. Let me know if you liked this chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the final chapter! It's more of an epilogue, because I do plan to do more with this AU. 
> 
> WARNING: If mpreg isn't your thing, that's cool. If you want to avoid it, don't read past the page break!

Tony and Peter got married (again) a few months later.

This time, it was a marriage both parties were eager for. 

Tony arranged for the ceremony to take place in a tent in their backyard, near Peter’s beloved flower garden. 

It was a small ceremony, but a lovely one.

Peter wore a fitted, light colored suit, while Tony was attired in handsome slate gray. 

Ben and May were there, looking misty eyed and content. They’d supported Peter’s decision to stay with Tony; May admitted to the alpha one day that Peter had told her Tony always smelled like mate to him, but he refused to acknowledge it in the beginning. That knowledge satisfied something deep inside Tony - he’d always felt that Peter was his soul mate. 

Tony had encouraged Peter to invite some of his friends from Queens the the wedding, too, which led to Tony meeting a kind young beta named Ned and a feisty omega named MJ. Seeing Peter laugh and carry on with his old friends was something Tony knew would be happening more often; he’d insist on his husband having company over more frequently. 

Pepper and Rhodey came too, eager to see their longtime friend get his happy ending. They’d come to adore Peter, too, as a matter of course. He’d become friendly with them from spending so much time at SI with Tony, and the alpha couldn’t be happier to see all the people he loved get along so perfectly. 

Peter insisted on inviting their neighbors, too, but Tony found he was actually enthusiastic about the prospect, having gotten to know most of them a great deal better with Peter around. 

Bruce and Natasha came with their young twins, and Tony could scent that Natasha was pregnant again. He knew it made the doctor blush, but he couldn’t help tease him with the nickname he’d cleverly thought up for the surprisingly virile beta - the Hulk. _(“You’re terrible Tony, can’t you see you’re embarrassing him?” “Come on, baby, I’m complimenting him.”)_

Even Steve from across the street, who Tony usually found too morally insufferable to deal with in large doses, was welcome. He’d been spending time with a beta he called Bucky, who Tony learned had lost his arm while overseas with the army. Tony found Bucky much more agreeable than Steve, and was pleased to discover that some of Bucky’s easygoing nature was starting to rub off on his straight-laced neighbor. 

Peter had managed to talk Tony into inviting Quentin Beck, too, despite Tony’s aversion to their other neighbor. He’d never liked Beck, but the other alpha had slowly proven to be a genuinely decent person, if a bit egotistical and old-fashioned in his view of omegas. 

When Beck did arrive for the little celebration, his plus-one was a sweet omega named Edith, who even the densest of the wedding party could tell he looked at with respect, awe, and admiration that Tony hadn’t thought his neighbor capable of. 

Tony and Peter’s ceremony was performed by a solemn yet well-spoken alpha named Clint. The pair had chosen him - after being introduced via Natasha - because they heard he had been in a situation similar to theirs; he’d chosen an omega from the registry to marry, who’d resented him for taking her freedom. The pair had grown close over the years, yet Clint had still been swept away by the same reverence and indescribable joy Tony had experienced when he discovered his omega was still at home after the abolishment.

Clint had become ordained in addition to his job as a police officer in order to dedicate himself to helping unite alpha and omega couples who had truly chosen one another. His specialty was “re-marriages,” and he did a splendid job for Peter and Tony. 

When Tony kissed Peter after Clint had pronounced them “bound only by mutual love, respect, and admiration,” it was far from the first time he got to taste his omega’s lips, but the significance behind the act was not lost on Tony.

After Peter had confessed that he was willing to let his tentative affection for Tony grow, the alpha had been extremely careful not to push the boy. 

Tony insisted on taking the omega out on proper dates, trips to Europe, and lazy evenings watching cheesy movies. He had let Peter dictate the pace of the relationship, and would always treasure the first careful press of lips Peter gave him after the alpha had suggested they try ice skating and ended up flat on his ass. 

Each new moment with Peter was a gift. They shared their second kiss over hot chocolate that evening, followed by their third, fourth, and fifth until Tony couldn’t keep count. 

Their first Christmas together was a week after those first few kisses, and Tony was feeling so elated he had decided to orchestrate an elaborate scavenger hunt throughout the house that led Peter to a multitude of presents ranging from expensive -_Tony! Who spends $10,000 on a watch?! _\- to thoughtful -_ Woah! This Lego set was discontinued years ago! How did you find it?_

As cheesy as it was, Tony couldn’t help making the last clue of the scavenger hunt lead Peter under the mistletoe he had purchased for this very occasion. To his relief, Peter found it endearing rather than horribly cliche, and rewarded the alpha with a kiss so sweet Tony felt as though he was buzzing for the rest of the day. 

They spent New Year’s Eve at Ben and May’s. It was a nice, quiet evening, and Tony was relieved that Peter’s family accepted him so readily. The alpha felt himself get uncharastically shy when Peter insisted on kissing him soundly after the ball dropped, but the gently encouraging look on Aunt May’s face squashed his hesitance, and he started the new year with his lips attached to the person he loved more than he ever thought himself capable of. 

Ever since their first kiss - December 18th; yes, Tony was going to remember that date forever - the alpha had been on the hunt for the perfect engagement ring. He still didn’t know when or if he would ever work up the nerve to propose to Peter, but he still found himself browsing rings in his free time online. 

The perfect ring ended up coming from a lovely little antique store the pair had explored on a weekend trip to some quaint upstate towns. Peter had admired the ring in a jewelry case for a bit before moving on to root through the comic books, giving Tony the opportunity to buy it with the omega none the wiser. 

The ring remained in Tony’s pocket for the next few weeks. Every time he thought a good opportunity presented itself - a gondola ride during an impromptu weekend trip to Venice, a snowball fight in their backyard, and the fancy Valentine’s Day dinner Tony had almost burned - the thought of overstepping some kind of unspoken boundary with Peter made the alpha so nervous he could barely breathe. 

The thought that he could make Peter uncomfortable, scare him off, ruin their perfect little world...it was too much. Tony could feel his anxiety ratchet up at the idea of Peter being angry at a marriage proposal, and his dreams were haunted by scenarios of Peter rejecting him, moving out, telling the alpha things like _why would I want to be married to you again? I finally got away from being stuck with you...You think I would do that voluntarily? _

Tony’s perfect moment came a few days later as the pair relaxed on the living room couch, a plate of Peter’s freshly made chocolate chip cookies shared between them and _Star Wars_ playing on the TV. 

Tony remembered making some kind of funny remark about something on the screen, and when Peter looked up at him, mouth quirked up in a grin, it felt like all the air left his lungs. He loved Peter, wanted to have this forever. 

Hands shaking, heart in his throat, stomach doing somersaults and palms sweating, Tony pulled the ring from his pocket and reverently offered it to the omega. 

“Peter…” he’d breathed, having fought past the dryness in his mouth, “Peter, I love you so, so much. I want...I want to spend my life making you happy, baby. Will you marry me? Y’know, again?” 

The few moments of silence that followed were the longest in Tony’s life. 

But, luckily, they were followed by one of the best moments ever. 

Peter, having recovered from his surprise, threw his arms around the alpha and peppered his face with kisses as he exclaimed his thrilled “Yes! Oh, Tony! I love you, too!” over and over. 

Tony had thought it wasn’t possible to be any happier; he was proven wrong a few weeks later when Peter, claiming to be cold and unable to sleep, crawled into bed with him to snuggle. 

The alpha had kept their interactions limited to kissing and the occasional make-out session, which always left him panting and in real danger of popping his knot even without any contact to his dick, but his desire to make sure Peter was comfortable and not feeling pressured in any way outweighed any discomfort he felt. 

As much as it pained him to gently push Peter off as his lips explored the alpha’s neck, he’d do it a million times over if it meant showing Peter he was sticking to what he said about being willing to wait until after they got married.

Well, got married _again,_ anyway. 

That night, after their re-marriage, once all the guests had finished dancing and eating and congratulating the couple, Tony had taken his time, worshipping every inch of his new husband. 

Tony had asked Peter before the wedding - hopefully, hesitantly - if he would also consider them becoming mates. Taking Tony’s bite. Tony taking Peter’s. 

The omega had been shyly enthusiastic about the idea, yet Peter was anything but shy with his moans and praise when Tony had finally sunk his teeth into his husband’s - _his mate’s_ \- tempting, creamy neck. 

Peter returned the favor moments later. 

Again, Tony was struck with the thought that there was no possible way in the known universe that life could get any better. 

But he was looking forward to Peter proving him wrong. 

***  
***  
***

“Morgan finally asleep?” Tony asked as his husband slid into bed next to him.

“Mm-hm,” Peter replied, “She insisted I read her favorite story twice tonight.”

“Mmm. You know, I really like that story,” commented Tony, sitting up in bed to stroke his mate’s soft hair.

“The one about the princess and the unicorn?” Peter murmured, leaning into the alpha’s touch. “Me too.”

“I wonder what this little one’s favorite story is going to be,” Tony wondered aloud, rubbing a warm hand over Peter’s six-month pregnant belly. 

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Peter replied with a sleepy smile. 

“I love you,” Tony whispered, still in awe of the fact that he was free to tell Peter that as often as he wished. 

“I love you, too,” Peter replied, his words heavy with sincerity. 

As Tony drifted off into a warm, pleasant sleep, his thoughts floated from Peter and the new baby, to Morgan and her stories…

_ “‘Leave him, your majesty,’” Peter read aloud, “‘His kind must always be free...living creatures are not to be owned. Man can keep them captive, or bribe them through their hunger, but he cannot own them. Only if they are loved they may stay with him as friends…’”_

_“Does the unicorn come back, daddy?” Morgan asked Peter sleepily, as she did every night._

_“‘He will come back,’” Peter continued to read, “‘for the princess has caught him, sire, as you have caught these horses. She has caught him with love, the net that will catch the wind…’”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story Peter reads to Morgan is "A Net to Catch the Wind" by Margaret Greaves. The message is fitting to this story; you can't force someone to love you. Love is only real when it comes naturally and is given freely. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this. It was a pleasure to write. And an extra thank you to each and every one of you who gave kudos and/or left a comment. 
> 
> I have a little something written that I plan to post next Monday, so I hope everyone who enjoyed this story will check that out! (Hint: It's a one-shot based on this AU!!)


End file.
